Law to Grad School

[Aliarrow]

I'm new here so I apologize if any of this has been asked before, but -

I've always been interested in grad school- particularly for Psych/Poli Sci, however I don't feel I have a substantial amount of research experience to qualify me for entrance to a decent PhD program, plus I want some real world experience before I'm trapped in Academia, so I've decided to pursue law school (since luckily for me, admissions are almost entirely Objective). I'll be attending a top 30 program (or Top 14 if I get into one I've been waitlisted at). I'm going to try my hardest to get on some type of Journal so I'll have research experience and the opportunity to write a note (a student written journal publication), and clerk for a Judge after graduation if possible. If I do all of this would I have a decent shot into a top grad program? Particularly if I find a professor whose research interests intersect with law (shouldn't be too hard to find in Psych/Poli Sci).

My main concern is that my Undergrad GPA is 3.5 (3.8 upper level/major), which seems a bit low for PhDs (but from quick glance at this board GPAs dont seem nearly as important for grad school as it is for law school). I do have 3 semesters of experience as a research assistant as well.

Or is this whole path completely retarded and I should just aim for a Masters program to get research experience that could lead to a decent PhD program?

[waddle]

I'll be attending a top 30 program (or Top 14 if I get into one I've been waitlisted at). I'm going to try my hardest to get on some type of Journal so I'll have research experience and the opportunity to write a note (a student written journal publication), and clerk for a Judge after graduation if possible. If I do all of this would I have a decent shot into a top grad program?

I don't see how going through law school would help you get into grad school; in fact, it might hurt your chances--it makes you seem as if you don't have focused interests, or changed your mind halfway through law school (or that you couldn't get a good job after law school), or that you are inclined to be a perpetual student. Not trying to be a jerk here, just judging your case from an outsider's perspective.

Or is this whole path completely retarded and I should just aim for a Masters program to get research experience that could lead to a decent PhD program?

Yeah, you'd be ill-advised to go through law school if you just wanted a Ph.D., especially if you'd incur massive debt for law school. You might be better off just applying to funded Ph.D. programs in the upcoming application cycle, and between now and December, you can get some decent research experience under your belt. Since you have three semesters of research already, I don't see what the problem is--that's plenty of research, and if you start doing research again, by the time you apply this December, you'll have more than enough to impress admissions committees (provided you can write about it well in your statement). Good luck!

[wtncffts]

What exactly are your interests? It would be a lot easier to give advice if we knew. Do you actually want to study law? What was your undergrad major? If it was psych or poli sci, you've presumably written a number of papers, and you have been a research assistant, so I would agree with waddle that I don't see what you mean about research experience. It'd probably be best to apply to a few MA programs and some PhD programs of some range, but the most important thing is research fit. You have to figure out what you're interested in, and investigate schools on that basis.

Another possibility is to apply to JD/PhD programs, which are often in poli sci. But I would completely agree with waddle that that first path doesn't seem very sensible.

[Aliarrow]

Thanks for the replies!

My undergrad major was psychology, I've taken several political science courses and enjoyed them all (especially comparative politics).

To clarify about research experience: It seems like most of the people in my research labs who were serious about PhD programs were working on an actual senior thesis and running their own research lab. I wanted to, but I didn't ask the professor I worked for about it until late/mid Junior year, when she said it was likely too late. So I just feel like it would be a disadvantage to not have actually run my own research project.

My greatest interests are comparative politics or social psychology to be exact. One thing about law school I thought could be helpful though was that one school I'm looking at (BU) has a clinic program in which law students draft actual legislation for developing African nations, which might give me a bit of a boost if I go the political science route. And I plan on working several years after law school in a (hopefully) somewhat successful career so it doesn't give the appearance I'm just running from law.

This might sound silly, but one of my biggest concerns is me letters or recommendation. I have great recommenders, with whom I've researched, however I feel embarrassed asking for graduate school letters after already having them submit law school recommendations for me. It makes me worried that I give off an appearance that I don't know what I want to do and that I'm not serious about this. The truth isn't that I'm so much 'aimless' or unsure, it's just that there truly are several things I'm passionate about and want to do. I enjoy law, psychology, and political science all pretty equally (maybe political science a little more).

I graduated in December and have been working as a legal assistant. I enjoy the field even though I realize it is different than I initially imagined, and I want to do it for a while since it would serve me well in my long term goals and ambitions; I just can't realistically see myself sticking around in law until I retire (and the vast majority don't seem to, it's a field with a very high turnover rate).

Edited March 28, 2011 by Aliarrow

[UWiPhD2011]

This is an interesting topic. I graduated last year from a top 30 law school and will be entering a PhD program this fall. I found my J.D. and law journal publications to be an incredible asset in my PhD admissions process, and was told by multiple program chairs and potential advisers that my J.D. boosted my application quite a bit. In this regard, I think getting a JD before a PHD won't necessarily impact your chances negatively.

However, the fact that my law school debt will continue to accumulate interest over the next few years as I work for a TA/RA wage is a definite con to this route.

I loved my law school experience, and it really allowed me to refine and discover my research interests.

[jynx]

I agree 100% with everything waddle said. Going to law school probably won't help you get into a PhD program, and it may hurt you. It's certainly not worth the debt you would incur in the process. Plus, it sounds like you already have totally adequate research experience to get into a PhD program (you don't need to do a senior thesis - I didn't!).

The truth isn't that I'm so much 'aimless' or unsure, it's just that there truly are several things I'm passionate about and want to do. I enjoy law, psychology, and political science all pretty equally (maybe political science a little more).

In all honesty, even this statement sounds to me like you're very unsure about what you want to do. It's great to have several things you're passionate about, but before you pursue an advanced degree, you need to narrow down your interests. What kind of career are you interested in? Do you want to teach, write policy, practice law, do research, or something else? What kind of degree do you need to do what you want to do? With that in mind, which field is most conducive to that career path? You can either pick one or find a way to combine two or even all three, and then seek out graduate programs that are doing research in that area or one closely related to it.

Also, I understand feeling embarrassed about asking for LORs for a PhD program right after asking for them for law school, but you shouldn't let that hold you back. I'm sure if you sit down with your recommenders and explain your situation, they'll understand. In fact, they may have insights that could help you figure out your career path a little more clearly.