Candidate of Law (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

: ''candidatus/candidata juris/iuris'') is both a graduate law degree awarded to law students in the Nordic region as well as an academic status designation for advanced

Law School A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

students in

German-speaking countries The following is a list of the countries and territories where German is an official language (also known as the Germanosphere). It includes countries that have German as (one of) their nationwide official language(s), as well as dependent ter ...

. Nordics except

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

have changed their law degrees from the candidate to masters due Bologna Process. The Candidate law degree was formerly also existent in

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe, Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, sea across from Sweden, to ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and th ...

and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

. The exam can only be taken at a university with a diploma privilege granted by the government. The competition for a study right in law at university is very fierce in the Nordic region. There are usually more than ten applicants to each place at law faculties. The admission system, however, varies in every country.

Countries

Denmark

''Juridisk kandidateksamen (cand. jur.)'' is obtained after five years of law studies (180 + 120 ECTS). Undergraduate degree is ''Bachelor i jura'' (''bac. jur.'') which usually take three years to complete (180 ECTS).

Estonia

Before the

Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into two different ...

, a post-graduate law degree was ''cand.jur.'' in Estonia. For example, President

Konstantin Päts Konstantin Päts (; – 18 January 1956) was an Estonian statesman and the country's president in 1938–1940. Päts was one of the most influential politicians of the independent democratic Republic of Estonia, and during the two decades pri ...

had the ''cand. jur.'' degree from the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; et, Tartu Ülikool; la, Universitas Tartuensis) is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest ...

. The degree derives from history, Estonia has been for centuries under the influence of Nordic countries, e.g. by being a part of the Danish Kingdom. The current post-graduate law degree is ''Õigusteaduse magister''.

Finland

Before 2005 Finland had ''Oikeustieteen kandidaatti'', abbreviated OTK ( sv, Juris kandidatexamen, Jur. kand.) degree. It was replaced by ''Oikeustieteen maisteri'', abbreviated ''OTM'' ( sv, Juris magister, JM) which is obtained after five years of law studies (180 + 120 ECTS). Previously graduated ''OTK'' diploma holders were eligible to continue using their previous title. Both before and after the Bologna process, the academic degree is split into two different diplomas. Previously, the lower degree was ''Varanotaari'', abbreviated VN ( sv, Vicenotarie), and current lower degree ''Oikeusnotaari'', abbreviated ON ( sv, Rättsnotarie, RN) is awarded after completing three years of study (180 ECTS).

Germany, Austria and Switzerland

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the term "cand. iur." is a designation used in the academic environment by advanced law students. However, it is not an academic degree. Rather, the designation is used in an internal university context or in the context of

publications To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Con ...

, for example contributions to journals or

anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically catego ...

. The designation is usually obtained after successful completion of the intermediate examination (after 4 to 6 semesters) and roughly corresponds to the qualification level of a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

. Before passing the intermediate examination, law students shall use the designation "stud. iur." (studiosus iuris). In Germany, law school is completed with passing of the First Law Examination after 4-6 years of study. Subsequently, graduates can be addressed as "Ref. iur." (Rechtsreferendar) or "Jurist Univ." Some law faculties also award the academic degrees "Diplom-Jurist", "Diplom-Jurist (Univ.)" or "Mag. iur.". In

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populou ...

, the degree programme ends with a diploma examination, and the academic degree "Mag. iur." is awarded. In

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, the designation "cand. iur. is no longer common, since the Bologna reform has changed the degree programme to the Bachelor's and Master's system, so that the academic degrees "BLaw" (Bachelor of Law) are awarded after three years and "MLaw" (Master of Law) after further two years of study. The academic degree "lic. iur." was abolished in the course of the Bologna reform. In the undergraduate BLaw programme, students generally use the designation "stud. iur.".

Iceland

Formerly

had Embættispróf í lögfræði (''cand. jur.)'' degree but it have been replaced by ML í lögfræði (''mag. jur.)'' title.

Norway

Previously

had c''and. jur.'' title which was replaced in 2003 with the ''Master i Rettsvitenskap degree''. Last ''cand. jur.'' degree's were awarded in spring 2007. The ''Master i Rettsvitenskap'' is obtained after five years of law studies (300 ECTS).

Sweden

Before 2010 Sweden had ''Jurist kandidatexamen'' (''jur. kand.'') degree. The former degree was replaced by ''Juristexamen'' is completed after four and a half years of studying at the normal pace (270 ECTS). Previously graduated ''jur. kand.'' diploma holders were are eligible to continue using their title.

References

External links

The Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark

The Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo, Norway

The Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, Finland

The Department of Law at Åbo Akademi, Finland

The Faculty of Law at the University of Stockholm, Sweden

The Faculty of Law at the University of Lund, Sweden

The Faculty of Law at the University of Uppsala, Sweden

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Candidate Of Law Law degrees Scandinavian titles Law of Sweden Law of Denmark Law of Norway Law of Finland