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I earned a 3.99 UGPA and I've also completed a M.A. in philosophy, funded by two prestigious scholarships, including one from the Canadian government, and I'm currently planning to do a D.Phil. at Cambridge. It has been my intention to go into academia, but I have always thought that if I decided to change paths (plan B), I'd pursue a career in law. Will the scholarships and the graduate degree (including, potentially, a PhD) make any difference to admissions? Could it hurt (if, say, I look too much like a failed academic)? And what is the most that I can expect my GPA to go down when I submit my numbers to LSAC? (Of course I know that much of this is idle speculation w/o having even taken an LSAT practice test...)

Why do you even want to go to law school? People usually go to become a lawyer. You don't need a PhD for that. Sounds like a waste of money to get both of those degrees.

Yeah, but it sounds like his PhD is fully funded. I for sure want to do a career in law, but if someone funded a D. Phil in Philosophy at Cambridge, that'd be pretty hard to turn down.

Academic job market is no walk in the park these days, although I know the law job market has been impacted as well. I want to have a hand in choosing where I live, which is very unlikely with an academic job, but I love studying what I study. Pros and cons on both sides (law and philosophy)...

bmm01 wrote:Academic job market is no walk in the park these days, although I know the law job market has been impacted as well. I want to have a hand in choosing where I live, which is very unlikely with an academic job, but I love studying what I study. Pros and cons on both sides (law and philosophy)...

It's not a surprise, who wouldn't want to get a six-figure gig where you can't be fired after 3 years, no matter how bad you are at teaching, get months of vacation time, and spend your time researching things that interest you?

D.Phil in Philosophy from Cambridge is a pretty good soft. It will only help though if you're an otherwise borderline candidate with the LSAT/GPA.

Also, pick if you want to do academia (in a philosophy department or law school) or practice law. Choose accordingly.

Congrats on a 3.99 and a D. Phil from Cambridge. I think it'll help a lot actually. Law schools are run by professors for professors, and professors get to pick who gets in. They'll see you as one of their own (if you have a strong LSAT, as all law professors did).

But, yea, if you don't have a strong LSAT, then you'll just confuse the professors who will expect you to have a strong LSAT.

But I don't see how you don't 170+ your LSAT with a D. Phil from Cambridge.

Maybe you should, you know, take a practice LSAT? It only takes a few hours. How bout today?

I doubt a 3.99 is going to go down much. And you will need to address why you are changing fields, but as long as you do so cogently, then the schools will be glad to look at your 3.99, MA Phil, D. Phil Cambridge, and your 175 LSAT (I am assuming you will score a 175 on the LSAT) in the most positive light.

Again, all depends on the LSAT. Schools have to try very hard to look at a 170+ LSAT in a negative light. Just don't confuse them with a low LSAT.