<p>Hi, I am an undergraduate transfer student with a career goal to be a researcher in neuroscience. Basically, I want to “do” something with the knowledge I’ll be gaining in the areas I’m interested, something meaningful (at least to me).</p>
<p>Research is one way to make a contribution; policy reform is another. I see a lack of scientific/technical individuals taking part in political dialogue (e.g. lack of global warming proof). Personally, I do not plan to pursue careers such as being a patent lawyer or a politician. I have an innate curiosity for how things work that can be quelled by research. I am also very naive in how law works and have some questions that maybe someone can answer:</p>
<p>(1) Given my goals, what would be a good educational plan? JD before finishing undergraduate or beginning PHD? JD/PHD dual program? Minoring in Political Science?</p>
<p>(2) Are there any sorts of info sites where I can read about other groups or institutes that have the same goals?</p>
<p>i can’t imagine why you would even be considering law school.
law school is very expensive. law school is very stressful. law school seems to have nothing to do with your career goals.</p>
<p>I don’t see the benefit unless you want to practice law. There is nothing inherent in a legal education that better prepares you for any other field. As a headhunter, I can’t tell you how many attorneys have come to me over the years looking to do something other than practice law. When I ask why they went to law school, they said that someone told them that there were plenty of things you could do with a law degree. Unfortunatetly, those people never bothered to tell them what those things were. Obviously, there are exceptions, but generally speaking, studying law to prepare for another career just delays that other career by 3 years.</p>
<p>Regarding the previous posts, I concede the point that (at face-value) my reasons for wishing to attend law school may not be compelling (since I do not wish to practice law).</p>
<p>Let me again mention that I am naive in how law (and politics) work. And although there is a consensus that law school does not fit my career goals, I haven’t been presented with a viable alternative. Let me propose the following two scenarios to illustrate what types of questions I aim to understand.</p>
<p>(1) Let’s say that, hypothetically, it could be conclusively proven that a difference in relative hormone levels (testosterone vs. estradiol) results in a natural disparity in confidence between males and females, exaggerated during the pubescent years. A proposed solution would be the addition of a class into high school curriculum that addresses, and provides strategies in approaching, issues of self esteem and confidence. How would we go from research to advocacy?</p>
<p>(2) A post-doctorate researcher is collaborating on a common project with a principal investigator in a lab at a research university. During the course of a year, together they develop some novel synthetic pathway, analytical technique, or other important X. The PI’s current grant expires and he is unable to secure a new one. Both researchers part ways and leave the university. Who owns the intellectual property of the said “important X.”? The post-doc, the PI, the research university, or do they all?</p>
<p>I’m not so much interested in the actual answers to these specific questions as I am in discovering which classes I could take to understand the full spectrum of related issues. Can I take select classes at certain law schools without being a part of a full-time program? If law school is not a good means, then what is? An option that includes the education with no degree is fine.</p>
<p>i think you need to address this to people working in the science research fields.</p>
<p>law school simply isn’t going to help you. the fact that those of us who have gone to law school know that, does not mean that we know what course you should pursue instead.</p>
<p>in law school you don’t really learn about legislation and policy making. most law school classes look at case law – how courts decided cases that were presented to them – to help understand principles of law – who is liable in different types of cases, what theories of law a court will apply, etc. those classes where you may actually look at statutes (eg, taxation) you are looking at what the law says and what that has been interpretted to mean – again – nothing really about the policies that led to the legislative process or regulatory process.</p>
<p>perhaps a political science course on the regulatory process (ie the process by which the government passes and enforces the regulations that give meaning to the laws) may help give you the initial information to help you better formulate what it is you are interested in learning more about?</p>
<p>Echan: If you really want to work in influencing punblic policy, law school is not the way to do it. You need to obtain professional credentials in the field in which you wish to work. In the beginning, a bachelor’s degree might (but might not be enough to) get you an entry level research position in a think tank or consulting firm in that field. In the end you will need an advanced degree, probably a Ph.D. Otherwise, no-one will pay one bit of attention to anything you say.</p>
<p>In your post you say that you don’t see a compelling reason to go to law school. In that case, you should not go. Otherwise you will be wasting three years and a heap of money.</p>
<p>unbelievablem, thanks for the elaboration on what law school covers. I was thinking that there would be more application than interpretation. My view on law school is now different.</p>
<p>dadofsam, I do plan on getting a PHD. I know that people might think of several years of tangential education as a long time, but training in research is longer. A PHD will probably take around five to six years to complete, and really it’s just formal training in research methodology, the beginning. I figure, and I may be flawed in my reasoning, that if I am going to build an intuition of research application (outside of academia), it had better be before I start graduate school.</p>
<p>Thanks again to the two of you and everyone else that replied.</p>
<p>For anyone that might read this thread and have similar interests and inquiry regarding advocacy from science, Georgetown has an undergrad program tailored to those goals.</p>