Skip to main content
search

Bachelor of Laws

Definition

The Bachelor of Laws (abbreviated LL.B., LLB, or rarely, Ll.B.) is an undergraduate degree in law generally offered after three or more years of college, and then three years of study of the law.

This degree originated in England and traditionally offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree.  In the United States, the degree has been replaced by the J.D. (Juris Doctor), and many common law countries  have or are in the process of phasing out their LL.B. degrees in favor of the J.D.

The "LL." of the abbreviation for the degree is from the genitive plural legum (of lex, legis f., law), thus "LL.B." stands for Legum Baccalaureus in Latin.

Illustrative caselaw

See, e.g. Mitchell v. Board of Bar Examiners, 892 N.E.2d 7 (Mass. 2008).

See also

 

Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

A degree in law from a law school, abbreviated to LL.B (for "Legum Baccalaureus"), which means that recipient has successfully completed three years of law studies. Most accredited law schools now grant a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree instead. Law schools that made the switch allowed their LL.B. holders to claim a J.D .retroactively.

Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.

August 19, 2010, 5:11 pm