As far as my own plans go, it's occurred to me that I've probably blown whatever chance I had of getting a PhD in philosophy, history, political science, etc...So I'd have to study legal history, jurisprudence, or whatever interests me only within a law school. The LSAT, early admission, and the widespread acceptance of transfer admissions would at least give me a chance of becoming a legal thinker of some sort. I'm also willing to forego a specialty in jurisprudence or constitutional law, since those areas are so overcrowded and affirmatized that I have essentially no chance of making a career in them. I'm willing to study broadly in the traditional areas of law, and also to make a specialty of energy, securities, financial institutions, or even tax law. Anyone who thinks that history, ethics, economics, sociology, epistemology, etc., can't be useful in practicing those specialties is quite mistaken.
I have a relative practicing one of those specialties in Texas, and I think that doing well at a Top 10-12-14 school could get me hired at his firm. With good grades, a good degree, several years of practice in Texas, and a couple of publications, I might have a chance to become a professor at a law school, keep up my specialty, and branch out into any historical or ethical issues that interest me. Oh, and maybe a good federal clerkship before practice. It's not a high-probability sequence of events, but I've overcome odds before. (I've also crumpled under pressure before.)