On the letterhead of Manitoba firms, the lawyers' names will have initials after them. More and more, the lawyers' names will have Q.C, LL.B, or J.D. after them. What's the difference?
Q.C. is an honorary title given to lawyers, and it means "Queen's Counsel", originating in England. The title was given to senior lawyers who had earned the respect of their peers. Practically speaking, there is very little benefit to the title. With the passing of the Queen, the new designation will be K.B.
Q.C. is an honorary title given to lawyers, and it means "Queen's Counsel", originating in England. The title was given to senior lawyers who had earned the respect of their peers. Practically speaking, there is very little benefit to the title. With the passing of the Queen, the new designation will be K.B.
LL.B is a bachelor of laws degree, earned after graduating from law school. For many years, Canadian law schools differed from schools in the U.S. in granting a LL.B to new lawyers. In the U.S., graduating students would earn a juris doctor or J.D. Both an LL.B and a J.D mean a student has a law degree. One difference however is that traditionally, a student can earn an LL.B without having an undergraduate degree (like a Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Science). J.D normally meant that the student did have the undergrad degree as well. For this reason, in Canada many lawyers will list both; ie., "B.A., LL.B", after their names. J.D. makes that unnecessary.
Since 2001, Canadian law schools have been moving toward handing out J.D. degrees and away from LL.B. degrees. There was a belief that Canadians were at a disadvantage if they wanted to practice in the U.S. The University of Manitoba changed its law program as well. So, brand new lawyers will have "J.D." after their name on the letterhead.
If nothing else, this mix of initials gives clients an idea of the ages of the lawyers in the firm.
Since 2001, Canadian law schools have been moving toward handing out J.D. degrees and away from LL.B. degrees. There was a belief that Canadians were at a disadvantage if they wanted to practice in the U.S. The University of Manitoba changed its law program as well. So, brand new lawyers will have "J.D." after their name on the letterhead.
If nothing else, this mix of initials gives clients an idea of the ages of the lawyers in the firm.
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