Claim: Juris Doctor is earned by the completion of law school in the United States.

The Juris Doctor degree -LRB- J.D. or JD -RRB- , also known as the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree -LRB- J.D. , JD , D.Jur . or DJur -RRB- , is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees . It is earned by completing law school in Australia , Canada and the United States , and some other common law countries . It has the academic standing of a second-entry , professional baccalaureate degree in Canada , a master 's degree in Australia and a professional doctorate in the United States -LRB- in all three jurisdictions the same as other professional degrees such as M.D. or D.D.S. -RRB- .   The degree was first awarded in the United States in the early 20th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree -LRB- such as the Dottore in Giurisprudenza in Italy and the Juris Utriusque Doctor in Germany and central Europe -RRB- . Originating from the 19th century Harvard movement for the scientific study of law , it is a degree that in most common law jurisdictions is the primary professional preparation for lawyers . It involves a three-year program in most jurisdictions .   To be authorized to practice law in the courts of a given state in the United States , the majority of individuals holding a J.D. degree must pass a bar examination . The state of Wisconsin , however , permits the graduates of its two law schools to practice law in that state , and in its state courts , without having to take its bar exam -- a practice called `` diploma privilege '' -- provided they complete the courses needed to satisfy the diploma privilege requirements . In the United States , passing an additional bar exam is not required of lawyers authorized to practice in at least one state to practice in the national courts of the United States , courts commonly known as `` federal courts '' . Lawyers must , however , be admitted to the bar of the federal court before they are authorized to practice in that court . Admission to the bar of a federal district court includes admission to the bar of the related bankruptcy court .