I cannot find a reliable source that addresses the use of Esq. along with academic credentials.
I received a JD/MBA in 2004 and I am licensed to practice in both Georgia and Florida. As most attorneys admitted to practice in my jurisdictions do not have graduate business credentials, I think there is a competitive advantage if my clients and prospective clients know that I have and MBA in addition to my law licenses. What is the proper way for me to include these post nominals on my business cards, letterhead and email signature block?
— Gordon L. Pendleton, Atlanta, Georgia
Dear CAM:
I include a chapter on courtesy titles and post-nominal abbreviations in my book.
I think there is no mention of it for the following reason:
JD and MBA are academic post-nominal abbreviations. There are rules for the ordering of post nominals and their use after names.
Esq. is a courtesy title … so it has more in common with other courtesy titles asThe Honorable or The Reverend. The rule with courtesy titles is … while an elected official such as United States Senator may have a JD or an MBA … academic degrees are not used with courtesy titles. So it always:
The Honorable Saxby Chambliss
And it is never
The Honorable Saxby Chambliss, Esq
or
The Honorable Saxby Chambliss, JD
Most attorneys in the US in practice use Esq. Those in academia are more likely to use JD.
Would you consider the more academic approach?
Gordon L. Pendleton, JD, MBA
– Robert Hickey www.formsofaddress.info
Leave a Reply