TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:33 pm
Worth it?
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TLS Consensus of JD/MBA Forum
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Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:32 pm
In some circumstances, yes. In most circumstances, no.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:26 pm
twentypercentmore wrote:In some circumstancesAt Harvard, yes. In most circumstances, no.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 7:02 pm
Not quite so cut and dry.
The general rhetoric is that a JD/MBA creates a "noticeable" boost in hiring, and is definitely not worth 90k+ and a year of school. However, that's kind of limiting. If I was looking at a full ride at Penn + sticker MBA versus HLS/HBS with close to sticker at both, I would absolutely do Penn. Frankly, even if it was half scholarship, I'd probably go with Penn.
The schools where you can justify doing a JD/MBA are Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Chicago, Northwestern, Berkeley, and Columbia. Maybe UCLA or Duke if you have ties to either area. On top of that, you can't just go, "Oh, I got into Chicago JD/MBA, so obviously I should do both." The profile of someone it makes sense for is someone who's been in the workforce for 4-5 years in a position an MBA would realistically help, AND that person receives substantial money at the law school/business school.
The reason why Northwestern has a disproportionately larger JD/MBA population than the rest of the T14 is because of the very profile Northwestern tends to attract. They give out a lot of scholarship money to folks with decent work experience, and NU law is very biglaw-or-bust, so it often makes sense to spend an extra year in school for the Kellogg MBA.
In short, there should be no K-MBA students. The MBA is a professional development you want to undertake as you move up/around in your career. The JD is a licensing mechanism that allows you to practice law.
People need to stop thinking of JD/MBAs as "super JDs" and start thinking of them as two different degrees. They make sense for a very small niche group of people that are in a very specific circumstance. For most people asking, "SO JD/MBA AT GULC YOU GUIEZ?" it doesn't.
The general rhetoric is that a JD/MBA creates a "noticeable" boost in hiring, and is definitely not worth 90k+ and a year of school. However, that's kind of limiting. If I was looking at a full ride at Penn + sticker MBA versus HLS/HBS with close to sticker at both, I would absolutely do Penn. Frankly, even if it was half scholarship, I'd probably go with Penn.
The schools where you can justify doing a JD/MBA are Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Chicago, Northwestern, Berkeley, and Columbia. Maybe UCLA or Duke if you have ties to either area. On top of that, you can't just go, "Oh, I got into Chicago JD/MBA, so obviously I should do both." The profile of someone it makes sense for is someone who's been in the workforce for 4-5 years in a position an MBA would realistically help, AND that person receives substantial money at the law school/business school.
The reason why Northwestern has a disproportionately larger JD/MBA population than the rest of the T14 is because of the very profile Northwestern tends to attract. They give out a lot of scholarship money to folks with decent work experience, and NU law is very biglaw-or-bust, so it often makes sense to spend an extra year in school for the Kellogg MBA.
In short, there should be no K-MBA students. The MBA is a professional development you want to undertake as you move up/around in your career. The JD is a licensing mechanism that allows you to practice law.
People need to stop thinking of JD/MBAs as "super JDs" and start thinking of them as two different degrees. They make sense for a very small niche group of people that are in a very specific circumstance. For most people asking, "SO JD/MBA AT GULC YOU GUIEZ?" it doesn't.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:26 pm
I retract my comment to +1 thistwentypercentmore wrote:Not quite so cut and dry.
The general rhetoric is that a JD/MBA creates a "noticeable" boost in hiring, and is definitely not worth 90k+ and a year of school. However, that's kind of limiting. If I was looking at a full ride at Penn + sticker MBA versus HLS/HBS with close to sticker at both, I would absolutely do Penn. Frankly, even if it was half scholarship, I'd probably go with Penn.
The schools where you can justify doing a JD/MBA are Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Chicago, Northwestern, Berkeley, and Columbia. Maybe UCLA or Duke if you have ties to either area. On top of that, you can't just go, "Oh, I got into Chicago JD/MBA, so obviously I should do both." The profile of someone it makes sense for is someone who's been in the workforce for 4-5 years in a position an MBA would realistically help, AND that person receives substantial money at the law school/business school.
The reason why Northwestern has a disproportionately larger JD/MBA population than the rest of the T14 is because of the very profile Northwestern tends to attract. They give out a lot of scholarship money to folks with decent work experience, and NU law is very biglaw-or-bust, so it often makes sense to spend an extra year in school for the Kellogg MBA.
In short, there should be no K-MBA students. The MBA is a professional development you want to undertake as you move up/around in your career. The JD is a licensing mechanism that allows you to practice law.
People need to stop thinking of JD/MBAs as "super JDs" and start thinking of them as two different degrees. They make sense for a very small niche group of people that are in a very specific circumstance. For most people asking, "SO JD/MBA AT GULC YOU GUIEZ?" it doesn't.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:10 pm
It's rare that the perfect response comes within the first few posts, but, that is the best, most complete, answer possible.
The only thing to add (or tl/dr) is that one shouldn't do a JD/MBA for the sake of doing a JD/MBA. Only do a JD/MBA if it makes sense to do both (M&A comes to mind, but even that has caveats)
The only thing to add (or tl/dr) is that one shouldn't do a JD/MBA for the sake of doing a JD/MBA. Only do a JD/MBA if it makes sense to do both (M&A comes to mind, but even that has caveats)
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:01 pm
If you want to do litigation, no.
If you want to go into corporate, possibly. See above post.
If you want to go into corporate, possibly. See above post.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:34 am
I just want to add to twenty's post since I'm about to go through the JD/MBA application process.
Many schools have started 3 year programs (Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Penn, Northwestern, Cornell), but the tuition at most of them is about equal to that of the four year programs.
I also agree with the notion that an MBA is only worth it with significant work experience and relatable career goals. I feel like my career objectives strongly justify a JD/MBA and there's still a good chance that I'll only do one or the other because of the additional cost and time commitment.
Many schools have started 3 year programs (Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Penn, Northwestern, Cornell), but the tuition at most of them is about equal to that of the four year programs.
I also agree with the notion that an MBA is only worth it with significant work experience and relatable career goals. I feel like my career objectives strongly justify a JD/MBA and there's still a good chance that I'll only do one or the other because of the additional cost and time commitment.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:27 pm
Taking business courses without getting an MBA is another option, depending on what you want to do. It's always helpful, if you're going corporate, to actually be able to read a balance sheet, etc., but that doesn't necessarily justify getting an MBA.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:37 am
Here are the answers:
[*]if you're not going to a top school, it's never worth it.
[*]if you're going to a top school and want to be a lawyer, it's not worth it.
[*]if you're going to a top school and don't want to be a lawyer, it might be worth it
(re: being a lawyer, i'm referring to the immediate 0-3 yrs after law school)
[*]if you're not going to a top school, it's never worth it.
[*]if you're going to a top school and want to be a lawyer, it's not worth it.
[*]if you're going to a top school and don't want to be a lawyer, it might be worth it
(re: being a lawyer, i'm referring to the immediate 0-3 yrs after law school)
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:46 am
Purely out of curiosity, any thoughts on Yale's 3 year JD/MBA program?
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:49 am
i'd say a yale MBA doesn't even compare to a yale jdtirakon wrote:Purely out of curiosity, any thoughts on Yale's 3 year JD/MBA program?
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:04 pm
Yale's MBA is not worth the paper it's written ontirakon wrote:Purely out of curiosity, any thoughts on Yale's 3 year JD/MBA program?
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:15 pm
Most people who say bad things about Yale's MBA tend to do so because of its awful US News ranking. In terms of admissions stats and job placement, it's really a pretty good MBA program, although nowhere even close to its Law School. In law school terms, it's like a back-end T14 IMO, but for how much MBA prestige matters, I would say that Penn, Northwestern, and Columbia have better JD/MBA programs for most prospective JD/MBAs unless they for some reason want to use the degree for academia or public interest or something (not recommended).guano wrote:Yale's MBA is not worth the paper it's written ontirakon wrote:Purely out of curiosity, any thoughts on Yale's 3 year JD/MBA program?
@GJWheeler, would you mind expanding on your post?
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:31 pm
You missed Harvard.jingosaur wrote:Most people who say bad things about Yale's MBA tend to do so because of its awful US News ranking. In terms of admissions stats and job placement, it's really a pretty good MBA program, although nowhere even close to its Law School. In law school terms, it's like a back-end T14 IMO, but for how much MBA prestige matters, I would say that Penn, Northwestern, and Columbia have better JD/MBA programs for most prospective JD/MBAs unless they for some reason want to use the degree for academia or public interest or something (not recommended).guano wrote:Yale's MBA is not worth the paper it's written ontirakon wrote:Purely out of curiosity, any thoughts on Yale's 3 year JD/MBA program?
@GJWheeler, would you mind expanding on your post?
Yale's MBA is not bad, in the way that Alabama's JD isn't bad. It's just that a Yale MBA adds no value to a Yale JD, other than the intrinsic knowledge itself.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:39 pm
The nice thing about Yale's JD/MBA is the fact that tuition is only about 30k more. On the whole, that's pretty doable.
The downside to that is that the MBA becomes a very expensive paperweight if you're one of many Yale grads that ends up with a super-prestigious PI/govt. gig. Yale's LRAP does not cover joint degrees whatsoever, plus most of the top-PI jobs really couldn't care less about the MBA portion.
Also, like I mentioned before, the JD/MBA is not a "super JD", and the incredibly small advantage a JD/MBA grad from Yale might have over a JD grad is probably not even worth 30k.
EDIT> Apparently the SOM has some loan forgiveness program, too. Effing Yale.
Also, like I mentioned before, the JD/MBA is not a "super JD", and the incredibly small advantage a JD/MBA grad from Yale might have over a JD grad is probably not even worth 30k.
EDIT> Apparently the SOM has some loan forgiveness program, too. Effing Yale.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:52 pm
Yeah, also left out Stanford. It's implied that these 2 programs are better than Yale's JD/MBA.guano wrote:You missed Harvard.
I've also heard that there's a way to get a dual Yale JD and a Harvard MBA but I haven't looked into it.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 2:36 pm
You do each separately and live halfway between the two schools (they're only about two hours apart)jingosaur wrote:Yeah, also left out Stanford. It's implied that these 2 programs are better than Yale's JD/MBA.guano wrote:You missed Harvard.
I've also heard that there's a way to get a dual Yale JD and a Harvard MBA but I haven't looked into it.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 2:43 pm
Is that sarcasm?guano wrote:You do each separately and live halfway between the two schools (they're only about two hours apart)jingosaur wrote:Yeah, also left out Stanford. It's implied that these 2 programs are better than Yale's JD/MBA.guano wrote:You missed Harvard.
I've also heard that there's a way to get a dual Yale JD and a Harvard MBA but I haven't looked into it.
I know someone who is doing a Yale JD / Stanford MBA in 4 years. So, presumably such combinations are possible.
Re: TLS Consensus of JD/MBA
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:07 pm
Yeah a friend is doing a Yale JD and a Princeton MPA in 4 years. They reside one year at Princeton and three years at Yale.