I was thinking about getting a Law Degree paired with M.B.A. does anybody here have that degree? If what are you doing career wise and would you recomend the degree?
I am finishing that degree now. I finish in may. I’m going to practice tax law and employee benefits law (ERISA). I think it’s a good degree. It helps separate you from other JDs when seeking a job. Employers always seemed to like the fact that I was pursuing the JD/MBA and I didn’t really have too much trouble lining up a job for after graduation. LL
Not to mention it gives you an “out” if you don’t want to practice law. I don’t know how many times I’ve had friends make comments about how they wish they had done this or that so they wouldn’t have to practice law.
I’ll give you the other side of the coin. I was thinking of pursuing that joint degree, but I heard from many sources that if you want to practice law, it is pretty much a waste of money. Additionally, it may make it harder to get some of the more traditional firm jobs, as the firms are more reticent to hire you if they aren’t sure of your commitment to the law as a career (law firms actually lose money on young associates, especially given how high starting salaries are these days). However, if you want to go into business and not practice law, it’s a great degree combination. It also would seem to be a good combination of degrees if you want to go to a small firm or to work for yourself. If you want to do it, think of the opportunity cost: if you don’t want to get into complicated math, just think that you’ll be paying out an extra year of tuition (which can be a lot at a private school) while forgoing that starting firm salary for a year (which in a big market can be good). I’ve also heard it argued that you should really think of the opportunity cost as being your last year’s salary (as in the year before you retire) + your tuition. You’d have to compare that to the expected higher return (in salary) from having the extra degree, plus that more intangible benefit of the greater freedom to leave the law as a career if you so chose. Good luck.