LLM v. MBA? Forum

[1L2b]

If I want to go into some kind of International/Business Law (possibly Biglaw), would an L.L.M. in International law help or an M.B.A. from a reputable school if I only want to pursue one of the two? Does it depend upon the particular firm, the city, the law school chosen for the J.D. degree, etc....???? Do you guys have suggestions on good programs? Any and all advice will be much appreciated!! Thanks in advance!!!!

[Aberzombie1892]

Depends.

Oxford has a LLM in Law and Finance that is extremely impressive.

However most LLM programs are not Oxford programs (or Cambridge programs...or Harvard programs...or Stan..etc.)

99% of LLM programs won't help you at all in business. The tax LLM can help in Tax, but not so much if you are not specifically interested in Tax.

JD+top school+top grades = your best shot at big law. Period.
JD+top school+top grades+MBA = will help with getting a job in a company/hospital/higher education institution and so forth (although this can still be accomplished without the MBA)

I think it would be best (assuming you are a 0L) to go the path of the JD and see how things look upon entering your 3L year.

If thinks don't look so rosy, then apply to a MBA program that fall. By the time you finish law school, you will know what MBA programs accepted you.

This is assuming, of course, that you are looking at an MBA program that is not at the same place as your law program.

[270910]

For the kind of business law you're looking to practice, not only is a JD all you need, but other degrees will throw you off the recruiting pipeline and not be viewed as a positive by firms that chiefly hire fresh talent the 'usual' way. Go to a good school for your JD then get good grades, there's really no other way to do it.

[shantibschool]

Thank you this is great info..

Let me spam now.

[nealric]

Neither makes any sense for biglaw. Both will screw up the normal biglaw hiring calendar. You just need the right combination of school and GPA.

With a very limited set of exceptions that would not apply to someone going straight through school, LLMs in anything but tax, and from any school except NYU/GULC/UF are worthless. Don't get a tax LLM if you don't want to do tax. Frankly, the LLM is just another year of law school. If you already have a practice area concentration, just take classes in that area- you can likely take pretty much all of the LLM classes anyways.

And 0L's really need to stop responding to polls like this one.

[nycbiglawordie]

I agree with the others- you absolutely don't need either. All they will do is cost you $ that you could have saved