PharmD/JD - FT or PT? Forum

[FedReserved]

New to the forum,

I've read some old threads from years back on the pharmd/JD combination. I'm looking for an updated perspective. I plan on working in the industry or regulatory body (think FDA) with IP. I will be graduating with a PharmD in May 2017 with plans to start law in the Fall.

I'm considering a few options and they depend on a my LSAT (not taken) and financial situation. Ideally I would like to work & go to school PT in the evenings. 2 schools I'm looking at are GULC & GWU. The PharmD allows my to work in a variety of different places with no long-term commitment while attending.

The other option would be to study law FT. I would only consider this option if I didn't have to debt finance.

Any insight would be sincerely appreciated.

[Famous]

The standard advice on this forum is generally "only go to law school if it directly aligns with your career goals (i.e. you want to practice the law)", so it seems like you should do it if you know you want to practice IP law. The schools you get into and the cost of attending rely primarily on your undergrad GPA and LSAT, so your best course of action is to take the LSAT and see if your numbers are good enough to get you into one or both of these programs with $$$

[FedReserved]

Thanks for the input. I definitely see myself practicing law. As for original plans, law school was it. Scored <160 close to graduation and didn't want to risk going to a shit school. UG GPA = < 3.2 Pharmacy was due to my interest in drugs and the like.

I'm hoping a current PharmD/JD can provide some insight here, additional career options I haven't considered. day-to-day activities, etc.. Feel free to DM!

[oidsedidy]

Generally speaking, I think if you intend to become a lawyer your career prospects will be much brighter having attended law school FT as opposed to PT. I'm sure you know that IP is highly competitive- having a technical background is a great advantage (some firms consider it at prerequisite)- so you will want to maximize your chances of landing that type of work by getting your JD the traditional way.

Also, I wouldn't sweat any of this until you have an LSAT score under your belt- that will make your decision much clearer than it currently is.