Effect of having a top law degree

[applicant12]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

I'll throw in the paranoid TMer view:

Law degree + possible Econ phd => interest in litigation and economics => interest in anti-trust litigation => interest in consulting antitrust litigants => interest in becoming a consultant after getting phd rather than working in academia => reject pile

QED

can adcoms think that far out???

[jeeves0923]

Originally Posted by applicant12

can adcoms think that far out???

I would guess yes. Every econ program where I indicated that I was also applying to law school, I was rejected. Is this proof of a causal relationship? Hardly. Did it make me raise my eyebrows? Absolutely. Especially since I was admitted to econ programs ranked higher than the aforementioned ones that rejected me.

On a sort of tangential note, my friend who is a 1L at Yale Law told me she works about 2 hours per day outside of class. I died a little on the inside.

As for my future: I have one singular goal at the moment- survive this year

Thanks to Harry Lime for the shout-out.

[walt526]

Originally Posted by slightlyconfused1

3) You have a singular talent at the LSAT that is far out of proportion to your other academic qualifications, and you feel compelled to exploit it. I can imagine this being an option for people who are generally strong analytical thinkers (and are good at the LSAT) but weaker in the quantitative coursework that is heavily used to evaluate Ph.D candidates. Still, if this is the case you have to ask some serious questions about the fitness of economics as a career -- most people with this profile of talents would be far better suited for something else.

FWIW, I probably fall into this category. I scored incredibly well on the LSAT six years ago (but still need to improve GRE Q to be competitive), yet ultimately I decided not to go to law school. That LSAT score has expired, but I really wish that I could have used it in some way to further my Econ PhD application. Still, completing a law degree rather than a Masters to improve my chances at Econ PhD admissions never occurred to me.

Also, that last sentence hit a cord with me: I am also constantly wondering if Econ PhD is the best fit for my interests and/or capabilities...

[Harry Lime]

The following post must be read in the booming voice of the announcer voice-over guy from NBC's "Friday Night Lights":

Originally Posted by jeeves0923

As for my future: I have one singular goal at the moment- survive this year

Oh my, that is an evasive answer .. that is an evasive answer, ladies and gentlemen! The crowd doesn't like this at all, and the fans are scratching their heads trying to figure out what's going through the mind of Jeeves! There are going to be some sleepless nights in Dillon, Texas, I'll tell you whut!

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by walt526

I am also constantly wondering if Econ PhD is the best fit for my interests and/or capabilities...

Try to leave that out of your statement of purpose.