M.B.A. too?

[Uptown *2*L]

If you wanna go to McKinsey, you're much better off w/ an MBA. Mck recruits only from HLS and YLS

Umm, this information is patently false. I know for a fact -- a fact -- that this is not true. McKinsey recruits at CLS, NYU, and SLS as well. They also recruit at Penn and Chicago in conjunction with recruiting at Wharton and the GSB at UC; I'm told that while they don't recruit separately at either law school, they'll give law students interviews while they're on campus for the b-school. They have also been known to hire JDs from schools others than those listed above (Berkeley, for example) if they get attractive resumes cold-dropped.

The same goes for positions at bulge-bracket banks.

This information was just vetted with four separate McKinsey consultants, a Goldman VP (CLS alum), and Lehman JD/MBA associate.

and hires maybe 5-7 JDs per year.

Also untrue. Accross all their offices its about twice that, more some years, less others (depending on how the non-legal job market is doing).

In any case, consulting makes Biglaw seem like a wonderful, well-paying, pleasant career

Ahh, finally, you speak some sense. Though I will also say, there's a difference between being a consultant and working for McKinsey. It's kind of the like the difference between saying you're Biglaw and saying you work for Wachtell.

[Towelie]

If you're getting an MBA because you're not sure of what you want to do later, you run into the risk of hiring partners catching on to that and wonder about your motivation to practice law (or run off and use that MBA) or your financial decision to spend an extra $50K on a degree you probably won't use (and aren't MBAs supposed to teach sound financial decisions?).  However, if you have a great reason for it, then go for it.

From Admissions Consultants:
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/may1607.asp#law1http://

Thinking of a Joint Degree?  Think Twice

Senior Consultant Mark Meyerrose notes that joint degree programs are becoming more common at U.S. law schools.

Although combining a J.D. with a graduate degree in another field makes good sense for some applicants, Mark advises most people to think carefully before taking the plunge.

"If you are considering pursuing a joint degree program, you need to be aware of their impact on your wallet and career choices," says Mark.

"Undoubtedly, many such programs offer students incredible intellectual opportunities. For example, Stanford Law School recently announced that it now has 11 dual or joint degree arrangements with other schools and departments around the wider university. That's great. After all, a school's motivation is to increase the intellectual breadth of its offerings, providing students with greater course choices. And what could be problematic about having more choices?

"Well, a couple of issues spring to mind:

"One – Most joint or dual degree programs require additional time enrolled as a student. Thus, the cost of your education will increase by one or more years of tuition – and, at, say, $50K per year that is no small amount of money!. You need to carefully consider all of the benefits – intellectual, professional and, yes, financial – of this decision.

"Two – Consider the marketability of your joint degree. It is not the case that future employers – either in the private or public sections – will necessarily see the value in your joint degree. In fact, the opposite is true. You will more likely be asked to justify the need you saw to pursue this 'extra' education. Unless you can give a clear and coherent explanation for why you pursued these two degrees, you will seem scattered and unfocused intellectually and professionally. So, before deciding to pursue a joint degree, be sure you understand your motivations clearly – and be sure that you can articulate them not only to yourself but also to the admissions committees."

 – Mark made thousands of accept/deny/waitlist/hold decisions during his three years as an admissions officer at the Harvard Law School.

Very interesting and on-point comments. As a joint-degree candidate (I'm doing a JD/MS), I am a bit worried about what firms will think during the interviewing season. Since I am graduating in the same amount of time (I just have to take one extra class a semester to get the MS) there is not a huge opportunity cost, minus the $10,000 it will cost to be over-enrolled in classes. But I'm a little afraid firms might be afraid to hire me since my master's (in criminology) has nothing to do with what I want to practice (most likely international business transactions).

That said, I am putting a spin on it, since I am focusing my research on the economics of crime and poverty. Aside from being a degree collecter and being interested in the subject, I really missed economics and math based classes, so I hope that by explaining the program to firms, they may view it as a plus. But who knows - I'm sure a firm or two might ding me thinking I will just leave in a few years to become an academic or something. Who knows.

[Nimmy]

though SLS/GSB, HLS/HBS, UCLS/GSB, CLS/GSB are probably the best combos.

Um...... Penn?  No love for Wharton?

[Uptown *2*L]

though SLS/GSB, HLS/HBS, UCLS/GSB, CLS/GSB are probably the best combos.

Um...... Penn?  No love for Wharton?

IMHO, in terms of the best combos, the comparative weakness of Penn Law doesn't quite make up for the strength of Wharton. It's a bit like YLS/SOM -- which is to say, fantastic, but perhaps not the best combination.

The best combination might be YLS/HBS. I know three of these. Badasses.

[Butters Stotch]

I think this depends a lot on the firm, particularly the level of prestige.

The majority of the V25 offers signing bonuses for MBAs which can run $10-50k. I've heard Latham (for example) offers $20k.

So they seem to value MBAs enough to give them more money. Of course, this could also just be to make the V25 competitive with PE, iBanking, and consulting.

Yeah that is interesting.  The law firms I talked to which was 3 and all of them were V50 firms said they usually pass over people with JD/MBA's.

That sounds kinda hard to believe really. I can understand many firms not being willing to pay extra for it, but passing over someone because they come in with additional competence seems to be, well, quite retarded.

That's one blanket assumption that I'm not certain I would agree with, personally.  I've known more than a few MBA-holders who "couldn't pour piss from a boot," as my grandfather used to say.   

[«ě»]

Sure, and there's plenty of HLS and YLS graduates who turn out to be feckless lawyers. But in general terms, it still applies

[Uptown *2*L]

That's one blanket assumption that I'm not certain I would agree with, personally.  I've known more than a few MBA-holders who "couldn't pour piss from a boot," as my grandfather used to say.   

Your 'tar being one of them?

 

[skeeball]

I'm pretty sure I want to do SLU's JD/MHA--it's kind of like an MBA but focuses on the business end of the health care industry.

I've only heard positive things so far....

[Butters Stotch]

That's one blanket assumption that I'm not certain I would agree with, personally.  I've known more than a few MBA-holders who "couldn't pour piss from a boot," as my grandfather used to say.   

Your 'tar being one of them?

 

Excellent example. 

[lovethelaw2010]

I think this depends a lot on the firm, particularly the level of prestige.

The majority of the V25 offers signing bonuses for MBAs which can run $10-50k. I've heard Latham (for example) offers $20k.

So they seem to value MBAs enough to give them more money. Of course, this could also just be to make the V25 competitive with PE, iBanking, and consulting.

Yeah that is interesting.  The law firms I talked to which was 3 and all of them were V50 firms said they usually pass over people with JD/MBA's.

That sounds kinda hard to believe really. I can understand many firms not being willing to pay extra for it, but passing over someone because they come in with additional competence seems to be, well, quite retarded.

Well the reason I was given is that even though there is a high turnover rate in law firms they like to hire people who they think will make it to partner and contribute to the firm in that way.  They told me that getting an MBA is a sign that you are going to be there for a year or two and then leave.  I personally don't want to do that as I would like to stay in a firm.  It sounds like the firms I talked to are in the minority about the MBA though but they were all based out of the same city so that might have something to do with it.