Pursuing a graduate degree is a great way to build the foundation of a well-rounded professional background. Earning both a law degree and an MBA degree can take your career to new heights in an increasingly globalized economy. In the past few decades, lawyers have evolved their professional skills of specific practice areas, legal research and writing, and logical thinking.
Today’s lawyer uses creative problem-solving, serves as a team leader, and finds interdisciplinary opportunities. Holding a J.D.-MBA dual degree can be advantageous for certain lines of work, such as corporate law. Earning a graduate degree as a lawyer is a great way to broaden your career opportunities, be a competitive candidate, build a stronger professional network, and enjoy higher earning potential. Let’s take a look at the top reasons to add an MBA to your list of credentials.
You’ll enjoy more career opportunities.
Holding a dual degree gives you the flexibility to choose more than one career option. You could offer your business savvy to a legal environment or you could apply legal expertise to a business setting. Either career path you choose will utilize the range of skills you have gained from both law and business school. You’ll build a diversified professional network that’s twice as large, which means you’ll have more networking opportunities.
Competition within the legal field is fierce, which means the more you can stand out from the competition, the better. Holding a dual degree is a great way to give yourself an extra edge that will appeal to potential employers. A J.D. background could be beneficial in a business role that involves regulatory details.
A great example of the career opportunities a law degree can open up is the career of Malliha Wilson. Malliha is a Canadian lawyer who served as the Assistant Deputy Attorney General to the Ontario government and was the former Special Legal Advisor at the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario as well. Malliha is currently senior counsel at the law firm Nava Wilson LLP, where she specializes in international human rights, indigenous, constitutional, corporate, and labor law, and other complex litigation. Malliha has more than 30 years of experience as the Senior Appellate Litigation Counsel with the Ontario government and participated in more than 20 cases before the Supreme Court of Canada.
You’ll maintain a competitive advantage.
An MBA bridges the gap between management and law. Graduate courses do emphasize management skills, but programs often place less focus on the company, labor, industrial, and commercial law. As global industries become more complex, it’s important to have a professional background in multiple areas of expertise. Going to business school after earning a law degree is a smart way to increase your knowledge and expertise in both fields.
The best way to maintain a competitive advantage is to continue learning new professional skills. One of the best practices of project management professionals is to successfully pass the Project Management Professional, or PMP, exam. A PMP training course teaches you all you need to know for the PMP examination through interactive activities, real-world scenarios, and practical applications created by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Project Vanguards offers PMP certification classes to students with little or some years of experience as a project manager. Their in-person and online courses come with all of the study materials needed to prepare for the certification exam, including practice questions, terminology flashcards, practice exams, and one-on-one online training. The PMP training course meets the PMI requirement of 35 contact hours and comes with a money-back guarantee if you don’t earn your certification the first time.
You build a more diversified network.
The strength of your professional network is invaluable. MBA programs place a big emphasis on creating and expanding your contact network. You never know which contact could lead to strategic partnerships, new opportunities, and broader career horizons. Having the ability to network is a great skill that generates business and attracts clients. Pursuing a J.D.-MBA dual degree is a smart way to double your professional contacts and diversify your network.
The application process to get into your dream school can be complex. From application forms and official transcripts to application essays and test scores, it’s hard to know where to start. Admission consultants help business school applicants get accepted into the top business schools in the world. MBA Mission, for instance, offers prospective students MBA application help no matter where they are in the application process. Their team of expert admission consultants has years of experience helping applicants get accepted into leading business schools such as Harvard Business School (HBS), Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, and Kellogg.
Most MBA programs offer students the chance to study part-time or full-time, meaning they can earn a graduate degree in two to four years. It’s important to take on a manageable amount of coursework if you plan to keep working full-time. Earning good grades in business school is just as important as earning good grades in law school. No matter how much work experience you have, pursuing a higher degree is a great way to broaden your career opportunities and increase your earning potential.