I've read through many schools' admission requirements and general information pages on this degree, and on every site they say that a prior Master's Degree (they do not specify which one) can eliminate the need to complete the MA at that particular school. Does a JD qualify for this? If so, what should a JD candidate focus on while in school? I know for ls admissions, grad school GPA and accomplishments matter less than UG GPA, but I assume it is not the case in PHD programs and I bet that the graduate GPA and certain accolades go a long way towards an acceptance. Furthermore, these sites state that an oral examination on a dissertation is necessary to waive certain MA req's. I'm pretty sure that I will not be writing a "dissertation" so to speak in ls, but would law review articles and other pieces of work count towards the req's? I know these questions may sound naive but I am honestly brand new to this research and need a jumping off point to really look into this option. Finally, I know GPA is important, but how about the ls ranking itself? Would you have to be a t14 student to qualify for a great PHD program or would a great GPA from a regional law school be respectable as well?
I know many people will question why I do not just go the MA route. Here are the reasons why I can't really do that: 1. My UG GPA suffered towards the end because of certain circumstances, and it would not get me into a good MA program. 2. I'm not even sure I want to go down this path 100% and there are a plethora of opportunities a JD opens up for me that I would love to explore and I like the flexibility a JD affords graduates. 3. It is a better fallback option in case I cannot find a professorship.
Anyway, if anyone has any info. please answer this thread, it will be much appreciated!
