Legal studies in America have changed dramatically from their incipient form. Historically in America there was no need, nor was there the possibility to receive a degree in jurisprudence. In colonial America, and in America up until the late 19th century, law was something that was studied individually by reading the few canonized English legal texts available at the time, or in the form of an apprenticeship concomitant with supplementary academic disciplines like philosophy or theology. This changed in America in the early 20th century when legislation was passed to limit the number of candidates eligible to take the bar. The bar is an examination administered in each state that covers the laws and legal practices of that state, which one must pass in order to practice law within the state that administers the bar. The intent of this legislation was to create a more selective and proficient legal force.
In its original form, the legislation which initially passed in 1890 demanded that states become more selective in whom they allowed to take and pass the bar, but did not provide definite specifications as to how this should be accomplished. The ambiguity of this original demand was clarified in 1906, when being a graduate of a university accredited with a Jurisprudence program became a prerequisite for taking the bar. Now, it is not possible to practice law without having graduated from an undergraduate program as well as a program in jurisprudence and having passed the bar. Because of the stricter regulations on candidacy for taking the bar, many schools have opened departments that are able to award a degree in Jurisprudence. For example, in 1790, a college student in Boston could practice law in Boston just by reading and studying law individually under the tutelage of an established attorney in preparation for the bar. Now, a college student in Boston must receive a degree from a Law School in Boston MA or elsewhere before taking the bar. Continue reading →