Top Law Schools

Not sure if this is the right spot for me to post this topic, so mods I apologize if I'm in the wrong place.

Just curious to see what the general opinion on JD/MBA programs are. It's one of those things that I've kinda-sorta played around with in the back of my mind. I'd want to apply in the 2017-18 cycle so I'd start studying for the GMAT after I'm done with the LSAT (hopefully after the September take). I minor in business and all of one side of my family own/run a business together, so I definitely grew up in a business-thinking environment. Likelihood of me getting into an MBA program would probably be pretty low as K-JD, but I figure there's no harm in applying since I'm already set on law school anyway.

How do firms look at JD/MBA applicants? I know that project management has become important in firms nowadays with all the ABAs and stuff like that coming about. Would that make firms look at JD/MBA more favorably than just JDs? The kind of mindset that comes from a formal business education like that I feel like would cause someone to be looked at a potential partner down the road. I'd imagine exit opportunities from BigLaw to in-house work would be better as well. Or does it actually make little/no difference and people who do it are just throwing more money at a school for no reason?

I've read a bunch of articles and junk. Some people think it makes you unique and gives you some interesting advantages. Some people think it's a glorious waste of time and money. What do you guys think?

The search function is your friend . Regardless, I am in a similar situation to you in considering this route, so I figure I'd chip in my $0.02. The consensus on TLS is that, when pursuing most JD joint-degrees, you should still only do it if you want to practice the law. I guess the main exception being a PhD-JD, but I don't know much about career options with that. A legal education for most post-MBA careers isn't necessarily needed on the job, but it may indicate to potential employers that you're a hard worker (but if you are at a M7 B-school, this is almost always the case anyways). I have read that JD/MBAs tend to do pretty well with BigLaw offers, though. I'm sure way more people on TLS can speak to that than I can.

I'm not sure what JD/MBA programs you're interested in, but at places like Harvard Business School, K-MBAs don't exist. Undergrads admitted to HBS are asked to defer admission 2 years (the 2+2 program) and the kids that get in as undergrads have very impressive academic and professional accomplishments. Almost every other top business school will similarly only admit undergrads with impressive work experience under their belts. Essentially, if you're serious about a JD/MBA at a T14/M7, you have to have at least 2 years of work experience under your belt or an outstanding undergraduate resume. If you're set on law school though, I have heard that applying to your university's b-school after 1L with good grades increases your odds of acceptance, but I'm not sure if that's true at every university. If you're 100% sure on a K-JD route, an MBA is not necessary to achieve what you want to achieve.

mwells56 wrote:Not sure if this is the right spot for me to post this topic, so mods I apologize if I'm in the wrong place.

Just curious to see what the general opinion on JD/MBA programs are. It's one of those things that I've kinda-sorta played around with in the back of my mind. I'd want to apply in the 2017-18 cycle so I'd start studying for the GMAT after I'm done with the LSAT (hopefully after the September take). I minor in business and all of one side of my family own/run a business together, so I definitely grew up in a business-thinking environment. Likelihood of me getting into an MBA program would probably be pretty low as K-JD, but I figure there's no harm in applying since I'm already set on law school anyway.

How do firms look at JD/MBA applicants? I know that project management has become important in firms nowadays with all the ABAs and stuff like that coming about. Would that make firms look at JD/MBA more favorably than just JDs? The kind of mindset that comes from a formal business education like that I feel like would cause someone to be looked at a potential partner down the road. I'd imagine exit opportunities from BigLaw to in-house work would be better as well. Or does it actually make little/no difference and people who do it are just throwing more money at a school for no reason?

I've read a bunch of articles and junk. Some people think it makes you unique and gives you some interesting advantages. Some people think it's a glorious waste of time and money. What do you guys think?

It really depends on what your goals are. If you want to work as a lawyer, a JD is certainly enough, given that you get good grades, attend a fairly highly-ranked school, and learn how to interview well. In terms of getting employed, I don't think having an MBA is going to give you much of a boost. I think firms are really looking for good lawyers - having business administration skills might help you down the line, but I don't see how it would make a junior associate candidate more appealing.

I can't really speak to whether or not it would help with transitioning to in-house work. If you're considering working as a lawyer for a while, and then moving into management, or starting your own company, then an MBA could be useful. But if your goals are mainly or strictly within the legal sphere, then it's certainly not necessary.