Top Law Schools

Hey guys and gals,

I am in the process of filling out apps right now. I am wondering what you think the most marketable dual degree program is. With so many JD grads out there, it would be nice to have a backup plan.

JD/MBA and JD/PhD. All of the others are pretty useless.

ETA: Maybe JD/MD if you're a sadomasochist

I have heard that a JD/MD can provide a pretty good fallback plan in the event law doesn't work out.

For most folks, a J.D. is good mostly for taking the bar and practicing law. If you are interested in some career other than practicing law, you might think about doing just that and saving yourself $100K. How about doing a master's in taxation or accounting for instance? Either one is much cheaper than a J.D. and more likely to lead to a decent job upon graduation. OTOH, if you are dead set on being a lawyer, it might be best to narrow your focus and finances to graduate as high as you can in the best school you can get into.

Harvard JD/MBA
Yale JD/MBA
Stanford JD/MBA
Penn JD/MBA

TTT JD/TTT Mx ... not so much

T1 JD/TTT MBA ... not so much

JD/T10 MBA ... just do the mba.

WSJ_Law wrote:Harvard JD/MBA
Yale JD/MBA
Stanford JD/MBA
Penn JD/MBA

TTT JD/TTT Mx ... not so much

T1 JD/TTT MBA ... not so much

JD/T10 MBA ... just do the mba.

I wouldn't cut off the top tier MBA programs at 10. It pretty much has to be the top 20 before you start weighing one versus another.

T20 in no order other than how I recall them: Stanford, Harvard, UPenn, Chicago, Northwestern, MIT, Cal, Dartmouth, Columbia, NYU, Yale, Virginia, Michigan, Carnegie Mellon, Texas, UCLA, Cornell, and UNC. There are like two more. I really don't think there is a seismic drop off in employment prospects within this group like there is with the T14ish and everything else.

thoughts on Vandy Owen SOM?

Up and coming but still not quite as elite. I'd pick Emory Gouizueta over Vandy probably. proximity to atlanta markets and hiring > name of vandy IMO

Aberzombie1892 wrote:

WSJ_Law wrote:Harvard JD/MBA
Yale JD/MBA
Stanford JD/MBA
Penn JD/MBA

TTT JD/TTT Mx ... not so much

T1 JD/TTT MBA ... not so much

JD/T10 MBA ... just do the mba.

I wouldn't cut off the top tier MBA programs at 10. It pretty much has to be the top 20 before you start weighing one versus another.

T20 in no order other than how I recall them: Stanford, Harvard, UPenn, Chicago, Northwestern, MIT, Cal, Dartmouth, Columbia, NYU, Yale, Virginia, Michigan, Carnegie Mellon, Texas, UCLA, Cornell, and UNC. There are like two more. I really don't think there is a seismic drop off in employment prospects within this group like there is with the T14ish and everything else.

forgive me if I read this wrong, but I believe that there is a "seismic" difference within this group. ex. HBS and UNC not comparable in prospects.

Except for the tippy-top JD/MBA programs, or possibly a JD/PhD from a top school if you want academia, the correct answer to this question is probably "none."

Any thoughts on a JD/MLS to become a legal librarian? I don't have the option at my school, but legal librarians at firms seem to make a decent living with nice hours. I wonder if a JD is sufficient for those positions, though.

Your goal is to be a law librarian?

RC Fail: at firm. Idk about this. Probably just the best JD you can get would be credited. Dont think the masters would help incredibly much. Still need to get their attn w some name recognish

kwais wrote:

Aberzombie1892 wrote:

WSJ_Law wrote:Harvard JD/MBA
Yale JD/MBA
Stanford JD/MBA
Penn JD/MBA

TTT JD/TTT Mx ... not so much

T1 JD/TTT MBA ... not so much

JD/T10 MBA ... just do the mba.

I wouldn't cut off the top tier MBA programs at 10. It pretty much has to be the top 20 before you start weighing one versus another.

T20 in no order other than how I recall them: Stanford, Harvard, UPenn, Chicago, Northwestern, MIT, Cal, Dartmouth, Columbia, NYU, Yale, Virginia, Michigan, Carnegie Mellon, Texas, UCLA, Cornell, and UNC. There are like two more. I really don't think there is a seismic drop off in employment prospects within this group like there is with the T14ish and everything else.

forgive me if I read this wrong, but I believe that there is a "seismic" difference within this group. ex. HBS and UNC not comparable in prospects.

I wouldn't say seismic. HBS is indeed better. But if you have the qualifications to get into either, you won't be hosed by attending UNC.

You would be hosed in comparison to going to HBS dude.

For business schools:

HBS/Wharton>>>Rest of M7>>>Mich/Duke/UVA/Tuck>>>NYU/Yale/Cornell/Other Randoms>>>All the rest

So my guess is best combo is HLS/HBS, followed by Wharton/Penn and UChi/Booth...

The best combo degree is a JD/MBA/MD.

That way you can provide medical services with your MD. Run your practice (i.e. back office activities) with your MBA. And when you get sued for malpractice, you can defend yourself with your JD.

Its a triple threat.

lawschoolgrapedme wrote:The best combo degree is a JD/MBA/MD.

That way you can provide medical services with your MD. Run your practice (i.e. back office activities) with your MBA. And when you get sued for malpractice, you can defend yourself with your JD.

Its a triple threat.

WSJ_Law wrote:You would be hosed in comparison to going to HBS dude.

I know people going to UNC for free that had the quals to get in to HWS. Scholarships for b-school just aren't as plentiful as those for law school, so for some people a free MBA at UNC might be worth it.

If you are already admitting the profession is saturated why are you even considering law school?

I would go with JD/PhD all the way. Maybe a JD/MD if you want to be Doctor Justice.

bdubs wrote:

WSJ_Law wrote:You would be hosed in comparison to going to HBS dude.

I know people going to UNC for free that had the quals to get in to HWS. Scholarships for b-school just aren't as plentiful as those for law school, so for some people a free MBA at UNC might be worth it.

Indeed. Also, some people are misinterpreting what I said - so I'm going to put it another way: Harvard B-School and UNC B-School place students in more similar positions than Harvard Law School and WashU Law School (or any similarly ranked law schools). What I also said was that there is not a huge placement drop off in employment outcomes for most of the top tier of b-schools like there is for law schools. No one is disputing that Harvard is better. But UNC is hardly a joke and someone could, in the right scholarship circumstances (half/full), take UNC over "M7" schools while not one could really say that a half/full ride at UNC law would be a reasonable alternative to HYS law schools.

SchopenhauerFTW wrote:Maybe a JD/MD if you want to be Doctor Justice.

I am now considering this option just so I can use that name.

quiver wrote:

SchopenhauerFTW wrote:Maybe a JD/MD if you want to be Doctor Justice.

I am now considering this option just so I can use that name.

This is awesome. I know a JD/MBA guy and I will def call him that.

What do they end up doing? Practice medicine? Do IP law? Just walk around town, accept tithes, and let ppl kiss the ring?

JD/MSEE = IP secure

turbotong wrote:JD/MSEE = IP secure

Sounds legit. Care to say more?

I think patent law is the only safe area from what I've read and the people I've talked to. It seems to be another career altogether.