Evening star., 1937-04-04
c. ]. SUBSTITUTES
new LAW DEGREE
"Jurls Doctor" Dropped and
a "Doctor of Science of
Law" Installed.

Two important academic changes
authorized by the Georgetown Law
School to preserve and elevate stand
Ards OF its graduate department were
announced yesterday by Rev. Francis
=. Lucey, S. j., regent and professor
Of jurisprudence.
At the close of the present academic
year, the Law School will discontinue
the granting of the degree of juris
doctor, which it has awarded for the
last flve or six years only on the
basis Of graduate work. Greater
emphasis will be placed thereafter
In the graduate department on courses
leading to new and higher degree,
that of doctor of the science Of law.
This will be substituted to large ex-
tent for the J. D. degree.
Discontinuance of the J. D. degree
WAS ordered by the school because
of tendencies in some law schools,
1t was said, which have lessened its
value as a strictly graduate degree.
DR.. Lucey said: 1T has been found
that q number of law schools have
been comforting the degree OF JurlS
doctor on students for mere under
graduate work. A committee OF the
Association of American Law Schools
was recently appointed to make
survey and report on the granting
Of graduate degrees in law schools.
This committee in its official report,
deplores the granting of the degree
Of J. D. for mere undergraduate
courses. At the present time, how
ever, owing to the practice of some
law schools in granting the degree
OF J. D. for undergraduate work,
the true significance of that degree,
Is properly q graduate degree, has
been lost.
Georgetown Law School, therefore,
feels that it has no choice but to
abandon the granting of this de-
gree in the future
Offered BY Few Schools.
The new degree of doctor OF the
science Of law is conferred by only
States, DR.. Lucey said due to the
fact that few law schools are in
position to offer courses which may
properly be counted toward such an
advanced degree.
mo law degree carries higher gradu-
ate standing, or presupposes work Of
greater excellence than the degree
OF doctor Of the science of law"
he explained.
ho hnfnra hpnp
conferred by Georgetown University
and will be instituted at the opening
Of the Fall academic term.
Courses leading to the degree OF
master Of laws will be retained at
the school as heretofore There will
be rigid requirements for students
seeking the new degree Of J. S. D.
next year.
Each candidate, DR.. Lucey explained,
will be required to hold the degree
Of master of laws, or other graduate
law degree. or have taught for three
years in law school which is mem
Der OF the Association of American
Law Schools candidate also may
b admitted If he has done work of
very exceptional quality In some spe-
cial field OF law, which meets the
approval Of the law faculty.
Requirements for Degree
IN addition, all candidates for the
degree OF J. S. D. must hold the de-
gree of bachelor of arts or eouiva-
lent degree, granted on the compile
ton of fc I years of college work
This is CURED in the case of every
student admitted to the Georgetown
Law .,hool, he said According to
the nerican Bar Associations report
on Aw schools, only five other law
SCI DIS, in addition to the George
tov / Law School, require such aca-
der Z qualifications of all candidates
for admission The others are Cali |
for !, Harvard, Yale, Pittsburgh and
Per sylvania.
II ? candidate for the j. S. D. degree
must lso spend one full year in resi-
dence , order to obtain it, and must
submit $50 a printed thesis. If the /,
thesis is 'cepted by the university 1t
will be dis, ibuted among law schools I.
IN the Un ed States and foreign !
countries
There are n, V SO students in the !
graduate depa1 nent Of the Law /
School, which is 1ne of the largest !
graduate groups T. any law school |
In the United State. In the enroll
ment, Is law schools re represented |.