What ELSE can you do with a JD?

[kman999]

So with everyone's desire to earn a J.D., it seems that one can either go into private practice, public interest, government work, or with some luck academia.

I am curious to know if there is anyone who has went another direction with their JD and truly was able to put it to good use in another career choice?  Thoughts or examples?

** Also, what about joint degree.  How much does that JD help in the business side of things? or when coupled with a degree in something like environmental policy?

[Ninja1]

A JD qualifies you, educationally speaking, for almost any sort of executive/administrative position.

[AmyWaxFanClubPresident]

I mean you can do plenty of stuff, but it won't be because you have a JD.  Even people who go into finance or consulting from the top schools probably could have done so based on the resume that got them into the school in the first place.  If you are interested in business, go get an MBA or advanced degree that will be useful.  In fact, a lot of people in the business world question the ability of lawyers to successfully manage companies.

Note, I fully expect the law students/pre-laws on this board to disagree and tell me how JDs are great even for someone who doesn't want to practice law, but perception is different than reality.

Edit:  I should clarify.  This isn't to say that with a JD you can't move to a company and into a business role, but that will be more of a function of your experience at a law firm doing certain types of work than the actual degree itself.

[Thistle]

I mean you can do plenty of stuff, but it won't be because you have a JD.  Even people who go into finance or consulting from the top schools probably could have done so based on the resume that got them into the school in the first place.  If you are interested in business, go get an MBA or advanced degree that will be useful.  In fact, a lot of people in the business world question the ability of lawyers to successfully manage companies.
Note, I fully expect the law students/pre-laws on this board to disagree and tell me how JDs are great even for someone who doesn't want to practice law, but perception is different than reality.

Edit:  I should clarify.  This isn't to say that with a JD you can't move to a company and into a business role, but that will be more of a function of your experience at a law firm doing certain types of work than the actual degree itself.

name one.

[AmyWaxFanClubPresident]

Most of this is from my real life experience, but since you asked...

Thomas Kahn (Head of a Hedge Fund) talking to a former Skadden attorney at IDT on a conference call...

"But you have not been a CEO of any profitable business venture, where you bring a background of being a CEO of a successful business venture to the IDT environment. In other words, one of my concerns has always been that there are too many lawyers and too many people with 160 IQ's running around IDT, but not enough people who have been out working elsewhere, and have demonstrated track records of running successful profitable businesses. I am sure you are doing a fine job where you are, but I would like you to pinpoint and give me, maybe you can e-mail the names of some people who are in the top upper echelons of IDT, who have run successful businesses on the outside, that have made money and grown, and yada-yada-ya, because grown, because I would be interested in knowing who is in the inner sanctum, who meets that standard."

I mean you can do plenty of stuff, but it won't be because you have a JD.  Even people who go into finance or consulting from the top schools probably could have done so based on the resume that got them into the school in the first place.  If you are interested in business, go get an MBA or advanced degree that will be useful.  In fact, a lot of people in the business world question the ability of lawyers to successfully manage companies.
Note, I fully expect the law students/pre-laws on this board to disagree and tell me how JDs are great even for someone who doesn't want to practice law, but perception is different than reality.

Edit:  I should clarify.  This isn't to say that with a JD you can't move to a company and into a business role, but that will be more of a function of your experience at a law firm doing certain types of work than the actual degree itself.

name one.

[Thistle]

Most of this is from my real life experience, but since you asked...

Thomas Kahn (Head of a Hedge Fund) talking to a former Skadden attorney at IDT on a conference call...

"But you have not been a CEO of any profitable business venture, where you bring a background of being a CEO of a successful business venture to the IDT environment. In other words, one of my concerns has always been that there are too many lawyers and too many people with 160 IQ's running around IDT, but not enough people who have been out working elsewhere, and have demonstrated track records of running successful profitable businesses. I am sure you are doing a fine job where you are, but I would like you to pinpoint and give me, maybe you can e-mail the names of some people who are in the top upper echelons of IDT, who have run successful businesses on the outside, that have made money and grown, and yada-yada-ya, because grown, because I would be interested in knowing who is in the inner sanctum, who meets that standard."

I mean you can do plenty of stuff, but it won't be because you have a JD.  Even people who go into finance or consulting from the top schools probably could have done so based on the resume that got them into the school in the first place.  If you are interested in business, go get an MBA or advanced degree that will be useful.  In fact, a lot of people in the business world question the ability of lawyers to successfully manage companies.
Note, I fully expect the law students/pre-laws on this board to disagree and tell me how JDs are great even for someone who doesn't want to practice law, but perception is different than reality.

Edit:  I should clarify.  This isn't to say that with a JD you can't move to a company and into a business role, but that will be more of a function of your experience at a law firm doing certain types of work than the actual degree itself.

name one.

with a quote!

well done young freshmaker 

[AmyWaxFanClubPresident]

My point is not that former lawyers (or JDs) can't be successful is business.  I'm simply saying that it won't be because of your JD.

Most of this is from my real life experience, but since you asked...

Thomas Kahn (Head of a Hedge Fund) talking to a former Skadden attorney at IDT on a conference call...

"But you have not been a CEO of any profitable business venture, where you bring a background of being a CEO of a successful business venture to the IDT environment. In other words, one of my concerns has always been that there are too many lawyers and too many people with 160 IQ's running around IDT, but not enough people who have been out working elsewhere, and have demonstrated track records of running successful profitable businesses. I am sure you are doing a fine job where you are, but I would like you to pinpoint and give me, maybe you can e-mail the names of some people who are in the top upper echelons of IDT, who have run successful businesses on the outside, that have made money and grown, and yada-yada-ya, because grown, because I would be interested in knowing who is in the inner sanctum, who meets that standard."

I mean you can do plenty of stuff, but it won't be because you have a JD.  Even people who go into finance or consulting from the top schools probably could have done so based on the resume that got them into the school in the first place.  If you are interested in business, go get an MBA or advanced degree that will be useful.  In fact, a lot of people in the business world question the ability of lawyers to successfully manage companies.
Note, I fully expect the law students/pre-laws on this board to disagree and tell me how JDs are great even for someone who doesn't want to practice law, but perception is different than reality.

Edit:  I should clarify.  This isn't to say that with a JD you can't move to a company and into a business role, but that will be more of a function of your experience at a law firm doing certain types of work than the actual degree itself.

name one.

with a quote!

well done young freshmaker 

[Thistle]

My point is not that former lawyers (or JDs) can't be successful is business.  I'm simply saying that it won't be because of your JD.

Most of this is from my real life experience, but since you asked...

Thomas Kahn (Head of a Hedge Fund) talking to a former Skadden attorney at IDT on a conference call...

"But you have not been a CEO of any profitable business venture, where you bring a background of being a CEO of a successful business venture to the IDT environment. In other words, one of my concerns has always been that there are too many lawyers and too many people with 160 IQ's running around IDT, but not enough people who have been out working elsewhere, and have demonstrated track records of running successful profitable businesses. I am sure you are doing a fine job where you are, but I would like you to pinpoint and give me, maybe you can e-mail the names of some people who are in the top upper echelons of IDT, who have run successful businesses on the outside, that have made money and grown, and yada-yada-ya, because grown, because I would be interested in knowing who is in the inner sanctum, who meets that standard."

I mean you can do plenty of stuff, but it won't be because you have a JD.  Even people who go into finance or consulting from the top schools probably could have done so based on the resume that got them into the school in the first place.  If you are interested in business, go get an MBA or advanced degree that will be useful.  In fact, a lot of people in the business world question the ability of lawyers to successfully manage companies.
Note, I fully expect the law students/pre-laws on this board to disagree and tell me how JDs are great even for someone who doesn't want to practice law, but perception is different than reality.

Edit:  I should clarify.  This isn't to say that with a JD you can't move to a company and into a business role, but that will be more of a function of your experience at a law firm doing certain types of work than the actual degree itself.

name one.

with a quote!

well done young freshmaker 

i wasnt saying that you thought that.  i am just fond of snarkily asking people to "name one" when they make statements like "a lot of people say..." or "everyone says that...."

and you responded remarkably well!  the quote earned extra points. 

thus, my accolades were not sarcastically bestowed 

[logickills]

ive always been told that if you don't want to practice law, then you shouldn't get a law degree.  that's what they're for.  practicing law.

[Thistle]

ive always been told that if you don't want to practice law, then you shouldn't get a law degree.  that's what they're for.  practicing law.

no they are actually useless for that.

now the bar certificate, that's useful!