What do you do with a JD/PhD? Forum

[splitbrain]

I was wondering what people even do with this if it's not a hard-science PhD. Teach?

I had a friend that wants to go into a law enforcement support position with a psychology PhD and a JD but they ended up at the lowest ranked programs in each category (TTTT and equivalent Psych PhD program), so I'm not sure how that'll play out for them.

How about those from the top schools?

[Doorkeeper]

Academia, either in law school or in the graduate school, is the most common option. Policy work and/or government work is the next most likely step. I know there are patent lawyers who get both of these as well. It's really up to you, but be willing to commit 6-8 years on it.

[masochist]

This sounds like a poor decision for a number of different reasons. I am not exactly sure what "law enforcement support" means, but psychologists who work with the police do not have much use for a JD. Teaching would require better schools in both fields, and the policy jobs would be similarly sensitive to prestige. Forensic psychoology (i.e. expert witnesses in custody or personal injury cases) is an option, but a 200k law degree is a really expensive way to prove that your qualified to work in a forensic setting. It would help with mental health law, I suppose, but all four of those jobs are already taken.

[splitbrain]

This sounds like a poor decision for a number of different reasons. I am not exactly sure what "law enforcement support" means...

Tell me about it. They were basically using TV shows ("Law and Order", "Criminal Minds") to guide their career directions rather than...I don't know...reality?

Edit: Thank you for your responses. Never met or knew of anyone that went this route before so it's interesting stuff to me.