Â鶹AV adopts JD designation for common law degree
˛ĎłÜ±đ˛ú±đł¦â€™s Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supĂ©rieur has approved Â鶹AV’s request to change the name of the common law degree conferred on graduates of the Faculty of Law’s double-degree Â鶹AV program from a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) to a Juris Doctor (JD). The BCL/LLB program will thus become the BCL/JD program. Graduates will continue to receive two diplomas; starting at the spring 2020 convocation, those degrees will be a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) and a Juris Doctor (JD).
The LLB designation for common law degrees has fallen into disuse in Quebec and Canada and, until the change, Â鶹AV’s was the last Canadian law faculty to designate its common law degree LLB. In response to requests, we have increasingly explained that our common law degree is “JD equivalent.” The new designation will communicate unambiguously to outside stakeholders that the degree bearer holds the standard North American professional degree in common law.
This name change will not affect program requirements or objectives, admissions policies or procedures, or course content. Students will continue to benefit from a double-degree program that is proudly bilingual and rigorously pluralistic.
Â鶹AV’s Enrollment Services are discussing with the relevant authorities the option for graduates holding an LLB to request a JD diploma.
“We’re proud of the ways in which our integrated program is unique, but we never set out for one of our degrees to have a unique designation,” said Dean Robert Leckey. “This change will help our graduates in having their extraordinary legal education recognized in the many markets where their ambitions take them.”
FAQ - Designation Change from LLB to JD
Q: When will the JD degree designation come into effect?
A: The JD designation is effective immediately.
Q: I am enrolled in the BCL/LLB program. What does this change mean for me?
A: On completion of the program, you will receive two degrees: a BCL and a JD. Â鶹AV’s Enrolment Services will automatically modify your student record to reflect the name change. No action is required on your part.
Q: I recently applied to the BCL/LLB program. Does this change affect my application?
A: No. The change will have no impact on the Faculty of Law’s admissions policies and procedures. We will process applications for the Fall 2020 semester of the BCL/LLB program as applications for the BCL/JD program, even if supporting documents (e.g. personal statements and extenuating circumstances) make reference to the BCL/LLB designation. No changes to supporting documents already received by the Faculty of Law are required or permitted.
Q: Does this change the academic standing of my law degree?
A: No. The JD will be a first degree in law, not a graduate degree. The change is strictly to the designation of the degree.
Q: I have an LLB from Â鶹AV Law, but would prefer to have a JD. Can I make the change?
A: In Summer 2019, Â鶹AV changed its degree designation for the common law degree from LLB (Bachelor of Laws) to JD (Juris Doctor).
Â鶹AV LLB alumni who graduated prior to Summer 2019, may request to replace their LLB with a JD parchment via the  (Edge, Safari, and Firefox are the recommended browsers to use) by selecting the LLB TO JD Replacement Diploma Request Form.
IMPORTANT: You must return your LLB parchment to Enrolment Services in exchange for a JD diploma. This is to avoid a discrepancy between your Â鶹AV transcript and parchment.
Once a JD parchment has been issued for you, the following wording will show on your transcript below the LLB degree granted notation: In Summer 2019, Â鶹AV changed the degree designation of LLB to JD. A JD parchment was issued for this graduate on <dd-mon-yyyy>.
You can order more than one copy of the JD parchment and a per diploma replacement fee would be applicable for any additional copies.
Your JD parchment will be sent to you once we receive the following:
- LLB to JD Replacement Diploma Request Form submission.
- Your original Â鶹AV LLB diploma (all copies, if applicable) – NOTE: the LLB parchment(s) can be folded to fit a regular mailing envelope. The Enrolment Services mailing address is indicated in the Replacement Diploma Request form.
- Applicable fee(s), which include printing and shipping costs by tracked courier mail (payable by credit card only).
Your request will be processed and shipped within 5-10 business days once your original LLB diploma(s) has been received.
