1. 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... from wikipedia.org