This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

LL.B(hons) after your name?

Poll

Use the letters?

Ok, as we all know there is a lot of university genital comparison goes on in here. However, here's my question ... Will those of you obsessed by Institution "reputation" use the letters LL.B after your name?

Hopefully (fingers crossed, touch wood, insert any other supersticious luck giving things here) I will graduate in July and could, therefore, put the letters LL.B(hons) after my name. In years to come I intend to postgrad study, which would again mean more letters.

However, I don't intend to list them after my name. I'll just be plain old Ethereal. I just wonder how many people will use them and how many will not?

Edit : It would be good to know your reasons for and against as well as just your poll answer :smile:

Reply 1

Dreama

13

I'm also thinking of including my mother's maiden name, my inside leg measurements, bust measurement, mobile telephone number, GCSE results, and the name of my first pet...

Imagine that business card.

Reply 2

Ethereal

OP

19

LOL!!

I don't like the use of letters after people's names. To me it smacks of Elitism. However, I spose people who want to use them have worked hard to get the. I just can't understand the point of writing them.

Reply 3

~Kirsty~

1

On official things i would like business letters, CV's etc.

I know this is about law but i'm going to use mine when i qualify which will be: Bsc(Hons) RD

Reply 4

Ryands

1

Granted perhaps not when ordering a Pizza in your name..

But how about on the plaque outside your solicitors' firm? I think in context they help give reassurance to clients(?).

Ryan

Reply 5

Happy1

14

nope... loads of people have bachelor's degrees... its not exactly worth it.

If i had an LLM or doctorate i would

Reply 6

Lauren18

14

Well... I don't intend to write it on letters to get kids out of PE lessons or anything... but yeah I'm going to write it on 'official' documents - letters to clients/banks/employers etc...

Just because it annoys the hell of of people [who probably haven't got the letters] isn't going to stop me using them when I've worked hard to get them. How else is anyone going to know you have a Law degree otherwise?

The letters themselves don't even matter, it's what's behind them that does. Therefore I agree that it's hardly a major issue whether you use them after your name or not. But, since some people make a big deal about using them, it just makes me see more value in doing so; to be honest.

Reply 7

PDJM

4

Generally speaking I do not use my letters after my name; most correspondence does not call for this level of formality, and to use them in relatively common correspondence or indeed most formal correspondence smacks of pretentiousness.

However they may be used in appropriate academic settings: such as in the footnotes of an article. Also if one were to receive a formal invitation where the inviter has deployed such postnominals, it would be good form to reciprocate with equal formality. Listings of partners/tenants sometimes use this approach, as do business cards on occasion (although this is more infrequent than before). Hons, is in turn less frequently used since the majority of bachelors' degrees are honours degrees, and it is taken as read; indeed the usage of (Hons) in addition to the University name together often looks most clumsy.

Reply 8

chalks

12

I can't remember a single occasion in the last 10 years that I've put the letters LLB after my name.

It would be exceedingly cringeworthy to use them when writing to another firm. There's no need to use them when writing to your client either - he/she/it rather hopes you're good enough to be their lawyer without needing to see what degree you got.

It shouldn't be a case of saying "My degree is better than yours" and trying to show it off....

Reply 9

Ethereal

OP

19

I really really can't figure out the point of putting LL.B after your name.

Also, here's another one that I can't see the point of .... where Solicitors use the title "Commisioner for Oaths". All Solicitors are commisioners for oaths, so it's a little redundent!!

Reply 10

Inquisitive

I guess this mostly applies to business cards, where it's necessary.

For some reason, I find the initials LL.B quite an eyesore... it doesn't look stylish in my book. Something like BA, MPhil or LL.M is quite nice.

Reply 11

chalks

12

No need on business cards either. You're a lawyer - clients/other lawyers realise that you're legally qualified. No letters are necessary, including LLM. It shouts pretentiousness.

Reply 12

Ethereal

OP

19

What do you think to the muppets who use "Commisioner for Oaths" chalks?

Reply 13

Inquisitive

Well that's a relief, compared to academics, doctors and other professions where it is common practice to do so. Perhaps this is something unique to those working in firms or organisations where it's important to be labelled under a single entity, with only the job position listed.

...

Well, most lawyers don't list postnominals on business cards because the majority have similar qualifications (LLBs, LLMs, BAs etc). But the lawyer i shadowed last summer holds a PhD and he uses this designation (he doesn't list his other degrees though). Indeed postnominals are rarely used in most occupations, except maybe medical doctors. Last time when he had an appointment with my GP, he has a string of letters after his name...