Doctor Lawrence

A Times news article about the decision by Brandeis University to withdraw an offer of an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali refers on second reference to the president of Brandeis, Fred Lawrence, as "Dr. Lawrence." Mr. Lawrence is a lawyer and has a J.D. degree, but the Times reserves the automatic "Dr." honorific for medical doctors and dentists. "Anyone else with an earned doctorate, like a Ph.D. degree, may request the title," the Times stylebook says. If the paper is going to let J.D.'s request to be called doctor, it seems like a pretty low bar and runs counter to common usage. And if the paper is calling President Lawrence "Dr. Lawrence" without his requesting it, it's misleading, because it suggests he requested it when he did not.