I did the opposite.  I had a Ph.D. in Economics (Tax Policy) then went back for my J.D. and LLM (Tax).  While I did both the JD and LLM while working full time, I would recommend that if you go for the Ph.D. complete some course work while working full time, then take a year leave of absence (or with funding if your institution permits it) to do course work prior to the comprehensive exams.  Getting to know the predilections of those writing the exams is better accomplished by full time presence at the institution.

Best regards,

Ed Hymson
Golden Gate University
School of Taxation

>>> [log in to unmask] 9/19/2005 8:05 AM >>>
Lately I've had the bug to pursue another advanced degree -- either a Ph.D.
or a Masters in public policy.  Partly this is because of some personal
goals I've had for a while, and partly because of some things I'd like to
achieve in academia.  There's no way I'd leave my tenure-track job to do
this, however.  I'm wondering if any other ALSB'ers have pursued advanced
degrees while keeping up with regular teaching and research.  If so, how
did you do it?  (I earned my LL.M. while working more-than-full-time as a
big law firm associate, but it seemded pretty easy, since most of what I
was studying was stuff I did in much more detail every day in practice).