Would getting a masters before the JD be insane? Forum

[Scarlett77]

I have pretty much fallen in love with a masters program and really want to do it. It involves International Affairs, and I do want to do International law/ public policy in the future.

I still want to go to law school after it (there is no joint degree option).

Would it be insane to pursue it?

Basically, I'm not sure it would really help me get employed in the long run. I'm just super interested and passionate about it. I already know that the masters degree grades don't really affect the law app much (unless it's like an insane 180), and I know they judge people more by their undergraduate record.

I'm just not sure if it would help/hurt me after law school, or help/hurt me in regards to getting in. There's also just the issue of practicality.

Again, I'm not doing it to improve my chances of getting into law school.

I just can't decide if it's practical to do it. I know it would cost money and everything, I know it would take two more years of school before law school...

I don't know, I'd just like to know what other people think about it. I don't really have anyone I could ask that would understand it in relation to applying to law school later.

[CG614]

Plenty of people get Master degrees before law school. If you love the subject and don't mind delaying your career the extra time, do it. Just know that the common consensus is that master degrees are just a good soft and don't help too much in the law school admissions process. Although, I am not sure how accurate that tends to be.

[budafied]

If you've truly fallen in love with the program, and it won't cost you too much, I'd say go ahead and do it. The cost of an MA program is usually not worth it, so I would pass if it wasn't pretty close to free.

I'm currently in an MA program, but I wish I hadn't done it. It has proven to be a waste of time for my goals (completely unrelated to law). Also, if you are not absolutely certain you really want to spend two years doing high-level study in a certain field, I would pass on it. It can be a rough experience with part time work and what not.

Don't let this deter you though. If it's something you truly want to do, you will only benefit yourself by going. It is just one of those things that is not for everyone.

[verdandi]

I pursued a masters in a similar field right before going to law school [Full disclosure: my program was only a year long, not two]. I actually would recommend it, especially if you are on the fence about law school. The two years of study will give a good feel for working in that field, especially if you intern somewhere, and may make you really think about whether law is right for you. The opposite happened to me: you may realize that the master's work isn't as fulfilling or exiting as you hoped, and it may reenforce your desire to go to law school.

One other advantage, all else being equal (money, opportunity costs, etc.) is that you will have lots of time to prepare your law school application and make it the best it can be. Masters programs are rigorous but not nearly as rigorous as law school, so you will have the time to take an LSAT class, take the LSAT multiple times if need be, polish your personal statement, and send your applications in early. Doing that will improve your chances of getting into a great law school far more than the master's on your resume alone.

Good luck, and feel free to PM if you have questions.

[boogie]

I'm doing my MBA now. I'm a Non-Trad student so it has prepared me for studying again. I suspect the MBA is not as intense as law school so it's been a good starting point for me. This is not to say that it was necessary or even a good reason for doing the MBA but it worked out to be a nice advantage for me.

I love my MBA programme by the way and couldn't care less if anyone thinks I'm crazy for wanting to earn my JD too.