Hi all. This is my first ever post, although I have been reading other posts for quite some time now. Finding all the info amazingly helpful! I am really hoping to start a PhD in law in Sept/Oct 2010. I have been planning on doing a PhD for as long as I can remember, but it's taken me a little while to get to it. Now that the time is getting closer, I'm really worried about my chances of being accepted and of getting funding.

I did my master's at LSE and missed out on a Distinction by 1% in one subject - very frustrating, but really my own fault for not working hard enough. However, I did get a distinction for my dissertation. In my undergraduate and LLB degrees I got good marks - plenty of distinctions in specific subjects and for my final dissertation, but again missed an overall distinction by a whisker.

I have published one article in a peer reviewed journal (not a UK journal though - but the main journal in the field in the country where I'm from). I also have some teaching experience - I worked as a teaching and research assistant at the Uni in my home country. Got very good student feedback and think that the prof I worked for would give me a really good reference.

I'm a qualified solicitor, but have been working in a different area of law to the one I want to do my PhD on for the last 2.5 years (financial reasons), although I'm about to start work in a firm that is more in line with the PhD subject. Although my master's was in the same general field as my PhD, I have not actually done any work on the specific area/topic of my proposed PhD topic.

I'm not a UK citizen, but hoping that by June next year I would qualify for home fee status.

Unfortunately there is no way that I would be able to self-fund - I really need to get funding.

I'm hoping to do the PhD at LSE or Kings but will apply to UCL and Edinburgh too. And am toying with the idea of applying to Oxford and Cambridge, but don't fancy my chances!

I know it's impossible for anyone to predict, but I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to my chances of securing a funded PhD?

I have an idea for my proposal and have been thinking about it for over a year now and am currently reading up on it with the intention to write something over the next month or two and then approach a potential supervisor (who was my lecturer at LSE). But I'm terrified that my proposal will be hopeless (not original, too broad, not PhD worthy) and am very nervous about approaching the supervisor. How detailed and good do they expect first attempts at proposals to be? Do you think I could get some help from the supervisor with the proposal? The actual proposal writing process is terrifying me - I'm worried I won't have enough time to do it while working full time. And sort of feel lost as to where to start.

Sorry - this must sound ridiculous and very anxious ..... and very long!!! I'd really appreciate any advice though. Thanks so much!!

Well, I don't know anything about Law but to me you sound very, very well prepared. Missing out on the distinction (which I assume is a first?) doesn't matter, as to do a PhD in UK you only technically need a 2: 1 at undergraduate or a 2:2 plus master's degree at any level- I'm not saying all universities would accept you with this but it is the benchmark at least. Added to that, you have published work, teaching experience, have been working on your propsal for a year and most importantly sound very enthusiastic and pro-active.
If it makes you feel any better I am 21, don't have a masters or any teaching experience, wrote my proposal in a month and managed to get a full PhD scholarship!
I don't know much about the funding process however, so this is just my two pence worth.

You'll have no problem getting into LSE, KCL, QMUL, UCL law schools with your background (these colleges tend to be the best places in the UK to go for PhDs in law). Oxbridge will also be interested (I know lawyers who didn't get firsts/distinctions who are there) - but if your PhD is the commercial/corporate area you will better in London. Law schools tend to be more keen to take on international students because of the huge fees, so it may be best to apply as an international student, and then later change your status to domestic student once you gain entry. Beware that you're unlikely to get full funding unless you're a UK/EU student, but I'm sure there will be opportunities for partial scholarships (LSE seems to give lots of these).
A good proposal will go a long way to getting funding, so I would suggest you read all books on research proposals etc. to get an idea about what's require...obviously showing originality and focus will be a selling point.

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Hiya-

I'm probably one of the rare exceptions, but I managed to get a fully funded PhD (a CASE studentship which is more money than the usual PhD funded studentships) at a top 30 ranking university with a 2.2 and 2 taught MScs (both with Merits).

I think you will be ok- although having studied at UCL for one of my MScs, I know at UCL (within the psychology department anyway) they mostly look for candidates with a 1st in their undergraduate degree and distinctions at masters level for funded PhDs (but your so close to the highest grade- you should be fine!)

Best of luck!

Congrats Pineapple that is very rare indeed!  They usually insist on a 2:1! It must be the two Masters that swayed them!  You're very lucky indeed - take them for all they're worth especially all that training you are entitled to!! Good luck! ;-)

To Milla - you sound very organised and know what you want! You could state what mark you got as distinctions are usually harder to get in foreign countries than the UK which has a mark of 70 or above for distinctions and rarely given.  One of my friends was very unfortunate in her grading as she was on the border of 2 grades and got the lower one as the marks were done proportionally on a curve of the whole class in her country so different countries have different marking systems.

Just out of curiosity if you don't mind me asking why do want to do a PhD if you are already a qualified solicitor?  Honestly a PhD is not all that it's cracked up to be! But if you want to do academic research it is necessary to do PhD!

Good luck (up)

Thanks so much for the replies so far - I'm feeling a bit more secure. Now I just need to actually crack on with the work of writing a proposal! Although I've been thinking about it for ages, I haven't actually read that much / done much research or properly formulated my thoughts. I'm pretty sure I can do it, it's just a case of actually getting started!!! I'm a terrible procrastinator, especially when I am worried the task will be difficult or that I might not be able to do it.

The reason why I want to do the PhD even though I'm already a solicitor is because I want to move into an academic / research-based environment and career. I've never been too keen on being in practice and have always wanted to get back to academia/research.

Thanks again everyone for replying!

Just to add... getting funding in law is a whole different ball game from getting funding in the sciences...i.e., it's highly unlikely anyone without a First class degree will get funding from a research council, because the competition is so intense. I know lots of lawyers who self-funded/part-self funded their PhDs, but if someone is working in a City firm they should have the money to pay domestic PhD fees.