How will leaving law school look on a history grad school application?

[Gorky]

Last fall I withdrew from a top-20 law school with a 3.07 GPA. I realized that I would be much happier pursuing my interests in a history graduate program than continuing on to a career as an attorney. I know that this is a very low GPA for graduate school (and exceedingly average for law school), but don't have any sense of how both leaving law school and having a B-average transcript will impact my application to a very different type of program. I have a 3.72 GPA from a top undergraduate history program and scored 800v/790q on the GRE. I think my writing sample will be strong and I am just beginning the SOP. I'm hoping to get letters of recommendation from two of my undergraduate history professors and one law professor.

Basically, I was wondering if anyone else has successfully applied to history programs after leaving law school or if anyone has an opinion as to how much weight my law school history will be given in the application process. I think I would have been a stronger applicant right out of undergrad, but so it goes. At this point, I am not sure if I should look for a master's program before pursuing a PhD to be a stronger applicant...

Thanks for any feedback!

[TMP]

I would think you can explain very briefly in your SOP (one sentence) and let your professors make the case of why history graduate school is better for you than law.

[Sigaba]

I respectfully disagree with TMP. IMO, your statement of purpose needs to address at least four questions:

1. Why did you apply to law school and not a graduate history program?
   
2. Why/how did you decide to leave law school?
   
3. Why do you now want to go to grad school in history?
   
4. What reassurances can you offer that, if admitted, you won't withdraw if you realize you'll be happier doing something else?
   

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that you spend a lot of time wringing your hands. I'm suggesting that you get in front of any challenges to your commitment to the craft of history that will be asked by members of the admissions committee.

[CageFree]

I respectfully disagree with TMP. IMO, your statement of purpose needs to address at least four questions:

1. Why did you apply to law school and not a graduate history program?
   
2. Why/how did you decide to leave law school?
   
3. Why do you now want to go to grad school in history?
   
4. What reassurances can you offer that, if admitted, you won't withdraw if you realize you'll be happier doing something else?
   

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that you spend a lot of time wringing your hands. I'm suggesting that you get in front of any challenges to your commitment to the craft of history that will be asked by members of the admissions committee.

I think #4 is going to be the hardest sell. Considering how limited funding is nowadays, they may wonder whether you are someone worth giving money to rather than someone else. I'm sure you are a great writer... just make a good case by displaying your enthusiasm for what you want to do.