What is a Juris Doctor?

The majority of Capital University Law School students are working toward a Juris Doctor degree, usually abbreviated as JD. A juris doctor is the primary graduate degree in law and is required for individuals planning to sit for a bar exam.

In order to be licensed to practice law, you must pass the bar exam, and most CapLaw graduates follow that path. Some law school graduates do not intend to work as licensed practicing attorneys and therefore choose not to take the exam. Instead, they apply the skills and knowledge they learn at Capital to careers outside the legal profession. This is part of the reason a JD is such a valuable degree; the analysis, problem-solving, research and writing skills, business and transactional knowledge, counseling skills and project management experience that come with learning to "think like a lawyer" are applicable to nearly every profession.

Students can receive their JD through Capital's full-time program in just three years, and in as little as four years with our flexible part-time programs. Acquiring a JD at Capital requires successful completion of 89 credit hours, a 2.0 cumulative GPA and successful completion of all required courses as outlined in the student handbook.