From now on, the Tarlac State University will confer the academic degree Juris Doctor – instead of Bachelor of Laws – on its law school graduates.
This is in compliance with Memorandum Order No. 19 of the Legal Education Board dated December 1, 2018, which “hereby promulgated to implement the complete migration of the basic law course to Juris Doctor (JD).”
Atty. Jose I. de la Rama, Dean of the TSU School of Law, informed the TSU Academic Council during its February 12 meeting about the LEB memorandum order and the need to implement it.
The Academic Council, during the same meeting, approved De la Rama’s motion for the university to rename its basic law course offering from Bachelor of Laws to Juris Doctor (Non-Thesis).
The LEB memorandum order requires that “the Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor courses/programs presently offered by law schools shall be renamed as Juris Doctor (J.D.) Non-Thesis course/program and Juris Doctor (J.D.) Thesis course/program, respectively.”
It also ordered “law schools (to) discontinue awarding or conferring the Bachelor of Laws degree to graduates of the basic law course.”
“The Bachelor of Laws degree awarded or conferred (on) graduates of the basic law course by (a higher education institution) with recognized law schools prior to the adoption of Resolution No. 2018-370 by the LEB are considered and declared as equivalent to the Juris Doctor degree,” the memo order said.
De la Rama said diplomas, official transcript of records and other academic credentials with “Bachelor of Laws” on them and issued to TSU law graduates may be reissued bearing “Juris Doctor”.
TSU, however, would have to apply for authorization and permission to reissue these academic credentials, he said. [OPAI]
