Passion for a certain profession drives a lot of people in getting a graduate course as many a personal statement law school points out. Although this may also mean advancing your career by adding bullets to your curriculum vitae and adding degree titles to your name, graduate school means one thing – burning the midnight oil. One graduate course may be suffice to put a dent in one’s normal routine, so how about taking up two? Why not go for a joint MBA and a law degree?
Law and Management
A Juris Doctor degree is essential and is the first ticket to the practice of jurisprudence. After passing the state bar exam, one can be proclaimed a lawyer and get into either private or public practice.
Garnering an MBA on the other hand is one of the more chosen pathways taken by those in the management field. An MBA is better suited for young professionals who are looking to advance in the corporate ladder by getting experience and educational training on administration, finance and accounting, consultancy, and other fundamentals necessary for the management of a particular business.
MBA-JD Program
As unrelated as they may seem, these two post-graduate degrees can now be taken under one program. Applicants can send off their personal statement law school essays and other requirements to reputable schools such as Harvard, Stanford and The University of Memphis among other academic institutions that offer the JD/MBA degree.
Benefits
So how does having a degree in two of the heaviest subject matters help an individual?
The MBA-JD program is beneficial for those who go corporate, or as in-house legal counsel of top reputable firms. Having a knowledge of how the business side works and having a client-oriented perspective opens up new areas of opportunity. This dual degree definitely raises your viability many notches up, as companies go for individuals who are multi-specialized and individuals who have an awareness aside from their work experience.
However, law firms have a different view as they see JD/MBAs as ‘tainted’ or more oriented toward the business side rather than jurisprudence. A JD/MBA degree could, however, help a lawyer effectively make a career shift – from a legal to a corporate one.
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