Individuals who are interested in careers in the legal field can enroll in a Juris Doctor (JD) degree program. This program exposes students to the applications of civil and criminal law, in addition to focusing on other areas, such as legal writing, tort, patent law and ethics. After completing a Juris Doctor program, which typically takes three years to complete, and passing the bar examination, graduates can go on to practice law in the private sector or at the municipal, state or federal level. Those holding a Juris Doctor, as well as other qualified individuals, may choose to pursue a Master of Laws (LLM) degree.