Hey everyone, it has been a few years since I have been on this site. I am looking for some advice about potential chances down the road. I know no one truly knows, but I haven't followed the last 3-4 cycles and just want to get peoples opinion.
I am a 3l law student (graduating this year) from a top 10 law school at just around middle of my class. I am the EIC of a significant law journal.
Previously, I got an MA in Philosophy from a strong philosophy department, with strong, but not perfect grades ( I also completed a master's thesis). It was a lifelong dream to follow the law, but I am starting to reconsider. I worked the past few summers and have a full time job lined up after graduation and taking the bar. I will take the bar and start work for a year or two. But already, I hate the actual practice of law. I truly miss philosophical work and I am taking a philosophy grad class right now and desperately miss it.
After working for a year or so, I am considering going back to do my PHD and go into teaching (not necessarily the law job market because I am not going to a competitive clerkship, but into a philosophy department).
My undergraduate is a small, liberal arts college that has sent students to top 10 philosophy departments previously, but rarely.
Overall, what do people think my chances might be for a significant department, given a strong writing sample and hopefully good letters of rec. I will have been in the workforce for a year or two.
Further information: I have been published in a mediocre philosophy journal and I currently am publishing a law review article in a half-decent or better law review (not as a student note). No GRE right now, but I have a 99.5 percentile LSAT so I am not too worried about that. Also, my gpas are in the 3.5 range. I know a lot of strong applicants have 3.9s+. I was a collegiate/professional athlete while in school so my GPA took a bit of a hit as a result. My law school gpa is likewise around a 3.3-3.4, which is at or above half the class.
Any advice is helpful. I know when I was on this site 4-5 years ago, there was a guy who didn't do well in phd apps, but went to a top 10 law school instead. I have no idea if he went back to get a PHD, but people like that with law school and legal employment experience would be most helpful, but any advice is appreciated.
And to be clear- I will be in my late 20's when I potentially apply. I have no idea if that may help or hurt, especially if I am applying from a work environment and not an academic one.
My areas of interest are in moral philosophy, political theory, and jurisprudence.