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Hi All,

I recently had the good fortune to be offered a full tuition scholarship to CLS. However being a non-citizen there's a slight possibility that I might find myself outside the US in the future (English-speaking, like England / Canada / Hong Kong). I was wondering if a law degree from Columbia carries enough weight that I could get a decent-paying job in those circumstances? (Management, consulting, international office of a law firm, etc.?)

I don't really understand this question. A CLS degree internationally is going to carry the same relative weight that it did in the US - an HYS degree will probably be looked at slightly more favorably, and a Columbia degree will be viewed as on par or better than the rest of the T14.

If you want to do consulting or whatever, get an MBA not a JD.

Columbia is more than sufficient to get positions in Canada, HK, or London, but that's not the main issue. Are you Canadian? Are you native Chinese who is also fluent in Mandarin? Are you English? If you don't have any of those things, even going to Yale isn't going to help you overcome the ties/language requirements.

Also, make sure you understand the additional training requirements to qualify as an attorney in whichever country you may end up in. You may end up requiring two years practicing as a trainee to be admitted to the local bar.

LBJ's Hair wrote:If you want to do consulting or whatever, get an MBA not a JD.

I write to emphasize the above. I note that OP, in listing desirable jobs, listed management, then consulting, and only listed working as a lawyer third. I don't want to overread, but that is not an encouraging sign in favor of attending law school.

OP, if your preferred post-graduation outcome is a management or consulting role, please seriously reconsider going to law school. An MBA will help you far, far more than a J.D. (and will also save you a year in school!) in securing a management/consulting/other business role.