Hello,
I am wondering if anyone can provide advice about the value of a doctorate degree in law. In Canada, law teaching positions usually go to PhD (aka LLD, SJD) candidates and grads- the LLM is no longer enough. Is this true for the UK and Ireland? How long does it usually take to complete a PhD there? Are most grad students funded?
Thanks.

In ireland, it is possible to get a teaching position without a doctorate, though increasingly, more emphasis is being put on having one as more and more people now have masters degree. The most important thing really would be to have a research degree - a research masters will be more valuable than a taught masters when applying for academic positions. It is good to have professional qualifications in Ireland too when applying for academic positions; although you might never have practised professionally, professional qualifications are viewed favourably. A good publication list is also important.

A Ph.D. in Ireland full-time should take three years. Generally though people take longer or else, depending on the course they have applied for, submit earlier and leave with a research masters degree (obviously the thesis is shorter and not of Ph.D. standard in these cases).

Alot of research students can get funding, though not everyone will have it. It will be a must that you are working full time on your thesis if you want funding.

It should also be noted that the Ph.D. is not that commonly pursued in Ireland, being of little practical value unless you want to be an academic; the furthest most students will go is a masters degree. However, most students after the basic undergraduate degree simply opt to pursue their professional studies (if they get in; this is very competitive!) and start working. Alot of students now have their eye on London and further afield for work/training programmes etc.