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A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a
legal practitioner
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
. In the United Kingdom the term "jurist" is mostly used for legal academics, while in the United States the term may also be applied to a judge. With reference to
Roman law
Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (c. 449 BC), to the ''Corpus Juris Civilis'' (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor J ...
, a "jurist" (in English) is a jurisconsult (''iurisconsultus'').
The English term ''jurist'' is to be distinguished from similar terms in other European languages, where it may be synonymous with
legal profession
Legal profession is a profession in which legal professionals study, develop and apply law. Usually, there is a requirement for someone choosing a career in law to first obtain a law degree or some other form of legal education.
It is difficult t ...
al, meaning anyone with a professional law degree that qualifies for admission to the legal profession, including such positions as judge or attorney. In
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
and a number of other countries ''jurist'' denotes someone with a professional law degree, and it may be a protected title, for example
in Norway. Thus the term can be applied to attorneys, judges and academics, provided that they hold a qualifying professional law degree.
In Germany the term "full jurist" (''Volljurist'') is sometimes used informally to denote someone who has completed the two state examinations in law that qualify for practising law, to distinguish from someone who may have only the first state examination or some other form of legal qualification that doesn't qualify for practising law.
Notable jurists
Some notable historical jurists include:
See also
*
List of jurists
The following lists are of prominent jurists, including judges, listed in alphabetical order by jurisdiction.
Premodern
*Ur-Nammu
*Hammurabi
* Solomon
* Ancient India
** Manu
** Chanakya
*Ancient Greece:
**Draco
**Lycurgus
**Solon
*Ancient Rome ...
*
History of the legal profession
The legal profession has its origins in ancient Greece and Rome. Although in Greece it was forbidden to take payment for pleading the cause of another, the rule was widely flouted. After the time of Claudius, lawyers (''iuris consulti'') could p ...
*
History of the American legal profession The History of the American legal profession covers the work, training, and professional activities of lawyers from the colonial era to the present. Lawyers grew increasingly powerful in the colonial era as experts in the English common law, which ...
*
Legal profession
Legal profession is a profession in which legal professionals study, develop and apply law. Usually, there is a requirement for someone choosing a career in law to first obtain a law degree or some other form of legal education.
It is difficult t ...
*
Paralegal
A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals i ...
*
Islamic jurist
References
External links
*
Legal professions
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