I have posted my speculation from time to time that law schools prefer their professors to hold, in addition to the J.D., a Ph.D. in a related area rather than a J.S.D. Some evidence of the trend? UC Berkeley Boalt Hall offers the LL.M. and J.S.D. "mostly to foreign legal scholars" and charges $34,000 per year in fees. No distinction is made between California residents and non residents. Boalt Hall also houses the Jurisprudence and Social Policy Ph.D. program. That department is identified with and works very closely with the Law School. It admits to the Ph.D. program persons with or without a J.D. and also offers with the Law School a joint J.D.-Ph.D. degree plan. Tuition and fees for Califonia residents? A little over $4,000 per sememster. For the non resident it runs about $12,000. There's lots of financial aid available for J.S.P. students; none at all for LL.M./J.S.D. students (other than loans, I presume). Looks to ME like the foreigners in the LL.M. and J.S.D. programs are supporting the J.S.P. students! Which program would YOU pick?
Sure! And I think that's exactly what Berkeley wants potential law professors to decide. I also wish them well because legal scholarship in this country leave something to be desired...
