<p>Or more specifically, are there any jobs out that where you’d need both a b.a. in finance, and a law degree? I’ve read a lot about oversaturation in the market for lawyers, and I was wondering if I could solve that by getting a specialized degree that relates to my undergrad major. Would something like securities law work? Or what about the people that write bond indentures? Do those require finance degrees, or can any law school grad do them?</p>
<p>Aside from patent law, no area of law specifically undergraduate study in anything. Expertise in other fields can, however, enhance your utility to prospective employers. </p>
<p>Most of the time, however, the people who hire freshly minted lawyers aren’t that focused on what the candidates did as undergrads, in my experience.</p>
<p>A finance degree may help an attorney who does public finance (municipal bonds), but knowing the governor will help much more.</p>
<p>Public finance mostly involves being able to draft huge and highly technical legal documents, as well as fully understanding a few sections of the Internal Revenue Code, selected provisions of federal and state securities laws, and a whole lot about the powers of governments to borrow. Unlike other areas of the law, there is no room for error.</p>
<p>I have a history undergraduate degree and had been a news reporter before law school. Heavy writing requirements associated with a history degree and writing and investigative skills developed as a journalist helps in drafting disclosure statements and in doing due diligence. </p>
<p>I believe my reporting experience did play a role in my first firm’s decision to hire me as a fresh-out-of-law-school attorney (as well as did my ability to play softball and my having clerked with the Treasury Department). I don’t believe a finance degree would help particularly, though you may be exposed to enough math to understand the arbitrage regulations.</p>