<p>Is it true that sometimes law firms will be skeptical of hiring someone with a JD/MBA because they will think that person is only looking to join the firm as a stepping stone? I would think it would be highly sought after because it’s tough/time consuming, etc.</p>
<p>that is going to depend on the firm, and on the individuals goals. There are some firms where a candiate with a mba is needed… . even preffered.</p>
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<p>Well, I don’t know about that. The fact is, most people with just a JD are just looking at the firm as a stepping stone. The truth is, at most firms, the majority of new associates are not going to make partner. Many times that’s by choice. Some new associates (with just JD’s) will run off to investment banking. That’s what former Sec. of the Treasury Robert Rubin did - worked at Cleary Gottlieb for a couple of years before going to Goldman Sachs. You have people who want to start their own law firm. John Edwards worked in various law firms before starting his own (in which he was obviously highly successful). There are people who intend to eventually enter politics. Barack Obama worked as an associate for Miner, Barnhill, and Galland before starting his political career. </p>
<p>So the point is, there are plenty of people with just JD’s who are also treating a law firm as a ‘stepping stone’ to what they really want to do. I don’t know of any evidence that would indicate that JD/MBA’s are any more likely to do that. </p>
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<p>Well, this actually gets to another issue, which is that, sadly, hard work is sometimes not rewarded. The truth is, dual-degrees are probably a mediocre investment of your time. You don’t really gain much of an advantage in the job market, and certainly not enough to justify the extra effort. I’ve seen plenty of people with dual-degrees, lose out on the job that they want, where both degrees were relevant to the job in question, to people who had just a single degree. I will always remember one of them ruefully say that he should have not spent the time to get a dual-degree, and instead redirected that time to practicing his interviewing skills and doing more recruiting/networking. What’s so great about having a dual-degree if you don’t get the job that you want?</p>
<p>There are few career paths for which a JD/MBA is necessary. Generally, though, if you are not certain of which career path you wish to follow, obviously there are that many more opportunities with the dual degree. In addition, if you want to pursue a career in law (as I have done following receipt of my JD/MBA), and if you want to work at a top corporate law firm in a big city, the MBA may well win you points in the interviewing process. In fact, many law firms will allow you to start you career as a second year associate (with all pay and benefits that go with that) in recognition of having been awarded the MBA in addition to the JD. At top M&A law firms, in particular, the MBA is often highly valued.</p>
<p>As the OP suggested, the question about career path will certainly be asked by any law firm interviewing a JD/MBA candidate, particularly since that candidate likely took their first year of the MBA program first, and did an MBA summer internship the summer before beginning the first year of law school. For me, since I clearly knew that I wanted a career in law, it was not difficult to make my feelings known, and no one ever questioned my sincerity. </p>
<p>The MBA can also open up many opportunities down the line. The reality is that no lawyer starting work at a big law firm really knows where their career will lead. Perhaps that lawyer will stay at that big firm and hope to make partner, or perhaps they will go to work at another law firm or hang out their own shingle. That lawyer may move in house or may choose to do something entirely different than actively practicing law (for example, teaching, investment banking, private equity, writing). In many of these cases, the MBA can be of significant importance in obtaining career opportunities. I must point out, though, that corporate lawyers coming out of the most prestigious firms likely have as many opportunities in investment banking and private equity as anyone with a JD/MBA. I do believe, however, that if a lawyer moves over to corporate America, that the MBA makes a much bigger impact.</p>