Considering MBA/JD?

[soccerlaw]

I'm a 0L and will begin law school this fall, but in addition my husband works at a university nearby that offers an MBA program in conjunction with my JD program. I could get my MBA for free through institutional grant-in-aid. I worked for the Federal government my first year out of undergrad (albeit just as an executive assistant), and made some very strong connections, especially with my former boss who is a senior level government executive. Given the poor market now and my personal connections, I think it is most likely that I will find myself looking primarily for gov work. Would a joint MBA/JD assist with getting a government job? Or would I just be better off spending my summers working internships/externships, and focusing on law school, rather than trying to take MBA courses?

[legend]

It really depends where your interests lie. If you want to be a prosecutor then an MBA won't be much help. If you want to start your own firm or do business related litigation it might be an asset. I knew plenty of joint MBA/JD's at my school some were happy with their decision others were not. There is no right answer to the question, and it really depends on your goals and what you want.

As for the government job that is a very broad question what in government do you want to do? If it is securities regulation SEC  then an MBA might be helpful. If you want to be a public defender it will be of little use. If your interested in your old position ask your old employer what he/she thinks they will know far better than any anonymous poster on the internet. .

I would like to add you Your legal education will be interfered with to some degree by getting an MBA, which should be considered. Another thing to be conscious of is do you really want to be a lawyer? You can just get an MBA, or find a job, many students go to law school without having any desire to be lawyers, and that usually doesn't go very well. Of course exceptions exist, but if you don't want to be a lawyer there are better ways to spend 100,000 and 3 years of your life. I'm not saying you don't want to be a lawyer, but many JD/MBA students that were dissatisfied with their decision didn't know whether they wanted to be lawyers or not. Just something to consider.

Good luck to you

[sollicitus]

If you just want to get promoted at work, and MBA is probably enough.

JD is a whole different animal, and honestly people tend to need only one or the other.

Having both is a bit of a vanity. In the end all you get is more initials after your name to help fill the white space on business cards.

Both are good degrees but for different reasons. Generally you need one but not the other depending on your career that you plan to use it for. If no active practice of law, no need for a JD. And conversly no need for an MBA for most lawyers.