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Why JD/MBA? Want to get into corporate law? If so, then yes. If you want to do business, get some work experience first.
It's possible, but extremely tough to get into a top JD/MBA program straight out of college. You would need to have top gpa, test scores, and really impressive extracurriculars.
Back in like 2003, a girl at harvard undergrad went straight to HBS after college and then did yale law afterwards. she had a 4.0 (one of only several in the school's history), and tons of leadership, research, internships, etc.
University of Toronto has a fairly decent JD/MBA program that you can get into straight out of undergrad. It's not as competitive as Harvard or Stanford, but I would definitely consider it (at least as a backup), even if you are in the US.
Possible at some schools perhaps, desirable at none/few. I think the JD/MBA is pointless at any level unless you plan on starting your own company or just really really want to pay extra to learn about business and don't feel like reading books on your own (while missing out on summer internships due to your course work).
The reason is because the recruiters for one could care less about the other. Biglaw could give a 2 shits about an MBA, so it's pointless for law recruiting.
Desirable MBA routes might see your JD as some kind of tie breaker but that is hardly worth the extra time,. expense, and missed internship. Small firms might like it so they can make you some kind of terrible backoffice, corp counsel, Excel bitch, but I'll pass on becoming someone's jack-of-all-trades.
If you want to be a lawyer, get a JD (though the current environment make those about as valuable as a toilet paper). If you want to pursue finance/business, work a few years, then get an MBA.
EDIT: Even "corporate law", whatever the above poster thinks that means, doesn't care about an MBA. I had 2 friends in law school join financial-oriented practices of BIGlaw firms and they didn't know preferred stock from livestock. You aren't generally aren't recruited based on practice group, that's decided later.
Corporate law as in F500 in-house counsel. Also, don't you think it's disturbing that your Big Law buddies are in a financial practice and know nothing about business?
Unless you're doing insurance defense, firms don't hire fresh grads for in-house positions. They don't have the inclination or capacity to train. So even if in-house F500 counsel is your goal, you will still have to be hired by a firm out of law school...and we have already established that an MBA is pointless for that recruiting. Even if you do eventually become in-house, if something big happens they will hire a large firm to handle it. Said firm will then make you their paralegal
No, I don't find it disturbing. McKinsey doesn't know dick about raising chickens, but when Tyson calls, they figure it out.
make sure you know this is exactly what you want to do, and that you are a very polished individual who can go into his first job and nail everything right away without any problems.
Its tough to compete against people with work experience when you graduate who are probably so much more valuable than you (unless you are a super genius and that is why you are doing it in the first place).
I thought of getting an MBA right out of college, and I'm so glad I didnt. I made the lesser mistake of spending one year on a MA in accounting and went big 4. I didnt like accounting or big 4. I mean how do you know yet what you really want to focus on in your MBA program, and do you really understand how to network yet?
It cant hurt to spend a few years trying out a few jobs and then applying- you may figure out you hate business or law, and realize you only need one of them. Dont rush unless you are certain you want that degree and career at your young age!
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Excellent comments by everyone. Sounds like the concensus is:
Business? Get work experience then consider MBA (and maybe a JD) Law? Just get a JD directly out of college (and maybe an MBA)
Thanks for your help!
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