J.D. Designation

As of January 6, 2012, J.D. parchments for alumni, who request them will be issued following submission of an application.

The application form, for those wishing to make the designation change, can be printed, filled out and returned to the university’s Registrar’s Office with payment of $70 (subject to annual review). You will be issued a new parchment with the Juris Doctor (J.D.) designation.

Your original LL.B. parchment must be returned before a new J.D. parchment can be issued. If your original parchment has been lost/stolen/destroyed/damaged please also complete the Request for Replacement Parchment form. 

Please note: this form along with the application should be submitted at the same time. There is only the one-time fee of $70.

The change is the result of significant consultations with Faculty, Students, Alumni and our broader community, and is in line with trends across Canada. The first student vote, in 2009, revealed a strong desire to change the name of our degree. A second student vote, held in 2010, revealed nearly unanimous support. Alumni from various decades were surveyed, and responded positively, with approximately three quarters in favour of the name change.

The J.D. designation is felt by many to better represent the fact that law degrees in Canada are almost always second degrees. As well, for Canadian law graduates, there is a competitive advantage to the J.D. title, seen more as a professional degree, over the LL.B. title, more likely to be perceived as an undergraduate degree.