Why can't JDs teach in political science departments?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because you need to produce original research to get a PhD. You do not for a JD. That being said, JDs can and do teach in law schools. JD who are successful enough in government can pick their political science department if that is what they choose do do after retiring

FWIW our 3L dissertations at Harvard Law were supposed to be original research. Mine was, and was published in several journals. But that does not make me qualified to teach a poli sci course

Agreed. In law school, I researched and wrote a long article on joinder in very specific civil cases. That has nothing to do with an undergraduate Poli Sci. Completely different skillsets.

[Anonymous]

JD is not a PhD. Period.

Don't care what the ABA says. JDs typically produce no original research, nor publish on it. It is a professional degree that is more akin to becoming a master electrician moreso than a PhD in electrical engineering who actually works in esoteric and theoretical stuff and does research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ABA governs the legal profession, not the academy in other fields. How is this even a question?

I have a trucker's license. Why can't I teach professional swimming?

That ABA doesn't even do that. It's just a voluntary trade association. I haven't belonged in over 30 years.

[Anonymous]

ABA doesn't "note" this; they "assert" this. The academy does not accept this assertion because it is baseless and lacks supporting evidence.

[Anonymous]

I love this post. OP, keep it coming!!!

[Anonymous]

Political science is very data driven these days. If you can't explain the math behind multivariate regression, it's getting tricky to publish or be hired in Poli Sci departments.

[Anonymous]

Because the people who are hiring political science professors are political science PhDs. It doesn't matter if some other entity believes the degrees are equivalent. They're not going to hire you.

[Anonymous]

Poli sci PhDs take courses in areas of American government and other areas. JDs, as part of their training, take courses where they learn very much the same material in depth, which convinces me that they are similarly qualified (Constitutional Law for example).

The JD is also a research degree, albeit a different type of research (legal research). Furthermore practice in public speaking, debating, and experience with the Socratic method provide good tools for effective teaching.

[Anonymous]

PhDs have coursework in three fields and usually teach in at least two- international relations, political theory, methodology, American politics and comparative politics. Most phds who have American politics as a major field do a lot of formal modeling and work with polling data. These days they might use programs that look at use of social media and how it correlates with voting patterns etc. It sounds like OP thinks he can just get up there and talk about the constitution or something and that’s equivalent. It’s not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poli sci PhDs take courses in areas of American government and other areas. JDs, as part of their training, take courses where they learn very much the same material in depth, which convinces me that they are similarly qualified (Constitutional Law for example).

The JD is also a research degree, albeit a different type of research (legal research). Furthermore practice in public speaking, debating, and experience with the Socratic method provide good tools for effective teaching.

Are you writing with ChatGPT?

1. PoliSci is not the study of civics. You might take a class on U.S. government in the course of your degree, but you will take more classes on philosophers, statistics, European and Asian political history, the UN, etc.

2. The JD is not a research degree: learning how to look up case law is not original research, it's a professional skill. Also, the JD is not a terminal degree in law because you can get an SJD.

3. And no, studying law does not make you an effective teacher: witness all the terrible teachers in law school.

- Lawyer with an undergrad major in PoliSci. I read a lot of Plato and Kafka for my PoliSci classes, and zero U.S. civics.

[Anonymous]

Not sure the appeal, law professor pays more and you teach graduate students.

[Anonymous]

Yale Law School offers a PhD in Law. Have at it, OP!

[Anonymous]

I have a BA in poli sci. I should be able to practice law. I know where the court building is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love this post. OP, keep it coming!!!

because it is baseless and stupid? why should we waste are time reading stupid posts? I just saw one go by on recent topics about "too much cabbage"? Why should I see that? TIme to move on to something else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yale Law School offers a PhD in Law. Have at it, OP!

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Yeah, all 12 of them. And where are they placed to teach? Like nowhere. That pipeline (clerkship, SCOTUS clerkship, practice (maybe), then teaching) isn't going t change.