Dual
JD-MBA degree gives grads legal, business punch
by Matt Golosinski
The Northwestern
University JD-MBA program, one of the country's largest with
about 25 students in each class, offers the rigorous curriculum
of both the university's Law School and the Kellogg School,
leading to a dual degree in three years.
"This is the only
program of its kind. No other school has a three-year JD-MBA
program and Northwestern is able to do it through the close
alignment, interaction and support of both schools, " says
Garrick Isert, a 2005 graduate. Students apply to the program
through Kellogg, not the Law School. This is unique, says
Isert, since most similar programs require application to
both schools. Students begin the legal component a year before
their Kellogg experience, taking courses such as criminal
law, property and constitutional law and contracts.
Isert, who is working
for an Atlanta consulting firm, says that his dual degree
provides advantages that make a broad impact. "Business education
gives us a greater understanding of the issues clients face,"
he explains. "Law firms seemed excited that we would not just
be lawyers who understand the legal issues, but that as JD-MBAs
we would be counselors who could add greater value for clients
by understanding the broader business issues. "
Businesses, meanwhile,
value the "analytical, research and communication skills that
are hallmarks of a legal education," adds Isert. He says these
abilities are particularly applicable for roles in investment
banking, strategic consulting, general management and business
development.
Other Northwestern
JD-MBAs agree.
Ben McLean, a 2005
JD-MBA graduate, works for a Chicago investment bank. He says
the degree helped him switch careers from consulting to banking,
giving him a distinct advantage over other candidates.
JD-MBA students
graduate with both the Law School and the Kellogg School,
appropriate since this year about half the grads have pursued
business positions - consulting, private equity or investment
banking - while the other half are taking jobs at law firms,
specializing in corporate law, securities transactions, intellectual
property or mergers and acquisitions. In
either case, the JD-MBA offers rich career options for these
graduates.
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