What is a 'Reader in Law' and what does he/she do?

Question

I’ve seen this title crop up before; I know of a Doctor in law at my university who is a 'reader in law' and wondered what differentiates him from the other lecturers?

Answer 1

It is an academic position, on a par with professor or other senior academic position within a university, at least in the English university system. A "reader in law" is someone who literally reads (and writes) in that field, a "reader in Greek" in that field etc.

People used to say "I read history" or "I read philosophy" at Oxford to meaning they took out a degree in that field.

A Doctor in law just indicates they have a Phd - they may well have no position or tenure of any kind in a university.

Reader = job title
Doctor = qualifications

Answer 2

In the old days, people did not go to Law School to become lawyers. Instead, they apprenticed with a lawyer. This process was referred to as "Reading the law."

Most states require people to have a law degree before taking the Bar Exam. Getting a JD from a law school in the US will qualify them -- but getting an undergraduate degree from a school that teaches British Common Law may work as well (in NYC, for example, you can take the bar if you have a bachelor's degree from a law school in England).

There are a few states where you can practice law if you pass the bar exam -- even if you did not go to law school. I know that California, Virginia and Maine allow you to read law instead of getting a law degree. This is one of the reasons why the Bar exam in California and Virginia are tougher than in most other states.