Value of an Executive JD Degree

Concord is regionally accredited; so the Executive JD is approximately equivalent to an accredited MSLS - though having instructed in the MSLS program at Kaplan, I'd say the Concord Executive JD is far more rigorous . But a non accredited JD ( without ABA or state accreditation) without a bar license is of questionnable utility.

 

If they do not pass the bar, ultimately that non accredited distance learnig JD won't do much for them careerwise. A MSLS would have a leg up getting a job at a law firm as a paralegal and the JD is not as useful as a MBA or even a MPA. And as I said before based on personal experience, most employers and governmet offices won't take a chance on the holder of a non accredited law degree, bar license or not. They want a ABA degree or in California, a state accredited one. You can however set up in practice on your own.

 

Hard disagree here. JDs are increasingly becoming more common outside of the legal profession and the JD is often seen as a cut above the MBA. This is largely due to the proliferation of MBA programs. Obviously, an MBA from Stanford is going to serve someone better than a JD from Cooley if they were applying, for example, to a role in HR or purchasing etc. But a JD from even the lowliest of law schools is an exotic treat compared to MBAs from schools that, 10 years ago, barely had an undergraduate business program.

When everyone is wearing black socks even navy blue socks seem exotic and eye popping.

Besides, outside of the legal profession, most employers really don't care about bar admission. We have no fewer than 3 non-attorney JDs at my company. One is licensed in their former state of residence and the other two were never admitted. We don't care. They don't need the degree for the jobs they have. When you have a degree that isn't necessary it is generally going to range from neutral to positive. The JD, at present, trends positive especially in any job where a law degree can even remotely be justified as being relevant. HR is one such area. Purchasing or contract administration is another. Even finance (with the right additional background).

 

And another bonus is that you don't have to pay a "staff attorney" to do the smaller legal jobs, when someone else with a law degree can perform those same jobs adequately.

 

I saw this ad promoting a book "63 best industry positions for Ph.Ds." One of the comments under the post was rather laughable.



The EJD is nothing but a fancy master's. It is not equivalent to the Ph.D. A real doctor of law would be the LLD and the SJD/JSD.

 

A JD, of any sort, is not a "doctor of law." Technically, they have a degree called either a juris doctor or doctor of jurisprudence. But as we've determined repeatedly on this board, having that word in the title of the degree doesn't make you one.

 

Thirty-five years ago I worked with a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison Law School. His J.D. said "Doctor of Law" in big black Roman type. Under that, in much smaller italics it read "Juris Doctor". I don't remember if the latter was in parenthesis.

Go figure.