Law School as path to Higher Ed Administration Forum

[Big Tuna]

I am curious to hear whether there are any posters who are either (A) applying to law school post-masters (in educational administration or a similar degree) and work in higher ed or (B) attends/attended law school post-masters and work in higher ed with the end goal of a career in high-level higher education administration. I know this is a less common reason for going to law school than most who intend to practice law, but for those in the field, a law degree (or other terminal degree) is often a de facto requirement to get your foot in the door. I am wondering whether this end-goal affected your decision to apply to law school with regards to what schools you applied to, what schools you considered attending, how it affected the weight you placed on prestige vs. cost of attendance, etc. Thanks in advance!

[sah]

People are going to skewer you for this post, but yes, it can be done, and in higher ed you do need a JD or PhD in ED to move up. Actually, an associate in my firm is now interviewing for an Associate Dean position. Still I'd recommend getting experience working in higher ed admin first - at the low level - before going to LS, to put yourself in a better position.

Also don't take on too much debt - obviously.

[cron1834]

Are you talking about regular university administration, or law school (lol)?

If the former, I was in academia for a while, and everyone in our administration had either a PhD or an EdD. I have an MEd myself. Don't spend $200k to get a JD to work in academia. You're better of burning that money in a bonfire, because at least it won't cost you three years that way.

[Big Tuna]

sah: To be clear, I am not asking for advice for myself (I already made the mistake of going to law school from 2010-2013), but rather a close friend who is considering getting her JD after having worked for 2 years since getting her masters in educational administration (she worked as a residence director at a small liberal arts school for a year after her masters and is currently an RD at a large public university, will have worked there 2+ years by the time she would be attending law school). I myself am quite unfamiliar with higher ed administration as a career but she said she thought a JD or other terminal degree would be necessary to progress as high as she wants.

cron1834: See above, also the end goal would be university administration, not law school. I agree 100% on not spending $$$ to get a JD, and the person in question is on board with that and would probably only consider going somewhere at a steep discount if not for free.

That being said, any thoughts on whether any law schools are particularly suited for someone interested in pursuing a JD with higher ed in mind, or even if no school offers a particularly attractive curriculum for higher ed, whether any school would be a better choice for some reason besides the standard U.S. News rankings?

[twenty]

Furthermore, top education programs/masters/etc. are WAY easier to get into than law school.

[sah]

sah: To be clear, I am not asking for advice for myself (I already made the mistake of going to law school from 2010-2013), but rather a close friend who is considering getting her JD after having worked for 2 years since getting her masters in educational administration (she worked as a residence director at a small liberal arts school for a year after her masters and is currently an RD at a large public university, will have worked there 2+ years by the time she would be attending law school). I myself am quite unfamiliar with higher ed administration as a career but she said she thought a JD or other terminal degree would be necessary to progress as high as she wants.

cron1834: See above, also the end goal would be university administration, not law school. I agree 100% on not spending $$$ to get a JD, and the person in question is on board with that and would probably only consider going somewhere at a steep discount if not for free.

That being said, any thoughts on whether any law schools are particularly suited for someone interested in pursuing a JD with higher ed in mind, or even if no school offers a particularly attractive curriculum for higher ed, whether any school would be a better choice for some reason besides the standard U.S. News rankings?

I think the best bet is honestly an EdD. I think PhDs are usually funded, as a bonus. A JD is an option, but it's kind of a circuitous route.

[Big Tuna]

Thanks all

[mach9zero]

I'd also agree with the sentiments here that if you're looking to do higher ed, go the PhD route. You're likely to get accepted to a program that pays you instead of you paying them, and it'll be an experience more tailored towards what you want to do. Even when I was completing my M.Ed, I had a lot more opportunities to get involved in the admissions and administration side, even if I was just a xerox plebian. Plus, top programs don't necessarily mean Ivy League schools. Many state schools offer excellent Phd programs.

[ladybug]

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