thumb|Detail from the [[sarcophagus of Roman jurist Valerius Petronianus (315–320)]]
A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law. Depending on jurisdiction, the term "jurist" can refer to a legal scholar, a judge, or a lawyer.
By jurisdiction
Common law
In the United Kingdom, the term is sometimes used to describe legal scholars.
In the United States, the term often refers to a judge.
Civil law
In Roman law, the term jurisconsult (iurisconsultus, sometimes also translated to simply "jurist" in English) referred to a kind of legal professional in Ancient Rome. Presently, a number of civil law jurisdictions retain the term "jurist" (or its equivalent in the native language) to refer to a person with legal training or practice experience.
In Norway, the term is a protected title and refers to lawyers, judges, and academics who have a qualifying law degree.
In Switzerland, the term "juristes" is not a protected title referring to a professional lawyer but refers more broadly to persons who have a degree in law.
Notable jurists
Some notable historical jurists include:
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See also
- History of the legal profession
- Faqīh
- Legal profession
- List of jurists
- Paralegal