If you read through sample law school personal statement essays, you’ll see that passion for a certain field or profession is among the top reasons why people go to graduate school. Just by reading sample law school personal statement essays, you’ll also see that many people also go to graduate school because of the promise of higher income once they have that MBA degree slapped onto their CVs and resumes. But what if you’re passionate about law and business administration and equally want to pursue them both? The solution is to pursue a joint degree, which in this case is caled JD-MBA degree.
What are JD-MBA programs and how does one apply?
As mentioned, JD-MBA is a joint degree in the fields of law and business. Those who successfully complete the program’s requirements and graduate are awarded with a Juris Doctor degree in law and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. The pursuit of a JD-MBA degree is ideal for those who are interested in practicing law within the context of business and the corporate world.
Graduate schools started offering JD-MBA programs because of the growing number of people who wish to pursue both fields after undergraduate school. Considered by many as two of the most lucrative fields and industries, the existence of a graduate program that combines law and business administration is advantageous not only to business and law schools, but also to students. Harvard, Stanford, and University of Memphis are just three of the schools that currently offer JD-MBA programs to their students.
Common requirements in applying for JD-MBA programs include scores to applicable tests, college transcript, recommendation letters, and a personal statement essay. For the latter requirement, you may have to structure it differently because you’re pursuing a joint degree and not just any Master’s degree. It’s advisable you browse through sample law school personal statement essays and look for those tailored towards joint degrees.
What are the benefits of studying law and business at the same time?
One obvious benefit of pursuing a JD-MBA degree is the time and money you’ll save. By enrolling under a JD-MBA program, you basically halve the time you’ll spend in graduate school if you pursue both fields separately. A JD-MBA degree is also beneficial in that it provides a kind of safety net for individuals should they fail to succeed in any one of the fields. If you feel that practicing law isn’t your forte, you can pursue a career in business and finance because of your MBA.
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The career and placement departments in many law schools have linkages and connections with various law firms to help their students find careers when they graduate. Especially for top law firms, the competition for internship and employment can get quite fierce. And though these law firms are the ones doing the chasing to get knowledgeable lawyers, they too are well aware that many are clamoring to secure employment with them. This is why many law firms stand firm in their standards and requirements for hiring lawyers.
Notable academic performance
Grades and academic achievements are among the prime criteria that law firms have for selecting and hiring applicants. Because grades deal with figures and numbers, these are the easiest ways to gauge an applicant’s abilities and intellectual prowess. Some law firms explicitly state that they will only entertain applicants who are in the top percentile of their class, while some state minimum required GPA figures that applicants must meet.
If you don’t belong to the top percentile of your class and your grades aren’t that impressive, don’t worry. The selection process of most law firms look beyond grades and figures and into the skills necessary for lawyers to succeed.
Communication and negotiation skills
Lawyers are notorious for their impeccable elocution and persuasive arguments. Needless to say, lawyers are expected to have excellent communication and negotiation skills because bulk of their work often revolve around litigation and negotiation. Written communication skills are also essential because lawyers are also often tasked with preparing memos, briefs, contracts, and other legal documents.
Strength of character and staying power
The dog-eat-dog world of law and legal procedures require someone who has strength of character to stay in the firm. While a sense of humanity and client sensitivity are admirable traits, lawyers have to constantly keep their personal emotions at bay to be able to deal with cases objectively and logically.
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Passing the bar exam is a requirement for all law students to be given a license for legal practice in an given state or jurisdiction. The bar exam consists of a series of multiple-choice tests and essay questions that test the student’s knowledge on statutes and laws. The bar exam follows no template, it differs depending on the specific state’s regulatory board. If you’re planning on practicing law in a specific state, that’s also where you should take the bar exam.
To help you get an idea of how state bar exams are formulated and structured, you can check out the websites of your desired state’s bar association. Another option would be to consult your law school’s career and placement office. That said, here are more tips to help you prepare for the bar exam.
Check if you need to take other qualifying exams
The MPRE or Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination is a set of standardized tests that should be taken by law students in all US states and is recognized as a qualifying exam except in Wisconsin, Washington, Maryland, and Puerto Rico. You should also check if your state requires law degree-holders to undergo character evaluation to become licensed attorneys.
Sign up for bar exam review schools if you need to
While some students are confident that self-studying is enough to help them pass the bar exam, some attend bar exam review schools to help them prepare. It’s recommended that law students enlist the help of review schools to provide them with a guided study on the various subjects covered and discussed throughout your whole law school education. Some people even say that preparing for the law exam can be likened to having a full-time job, because it requires intensive review and studying. Another benefit of going to a review school is that it can provide you with sample questions that appeared on the previous years’ bar exams.
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So you’ve already passed the entrance exam and have submitted letters of recommendation. You’re also done browsing through countless sample law school personal statement essays that helped you come up with a well-crafted personal statement essay. But the admissions process for law schools does not end there. You’ll still have to strap yourself up for the personal interview that the admissions committee will conduct. Here are a few tips to help you gear up for the interview:
Confirm, inquire, and prepare
Once you receive the invitation for an interview, confirm your attendance as well as the details by calling the school. Inquire about the details of the interview; the time and venue, who the interviewer will be (if they’re allowed to disclose that information), and if you have to bring any personal documents. Take note of specific instructions. Sometimes this can also be used a test of your keenness and attention to detail. One way of preparing for the actual interview is by doing your research on the interviewer.
You can do this by visiting websites of school forums. Ask people if your interviewer has certain pet peeves that you should avoid. But more than the interviewer, you should spend considerable amount of time reading up on the law school’s history and the current developments and issues in the institution.
Do an ocular and review your personal statement
If you’re not at all familiar with the school’s grounds and the town where it’s located, you might want to do an ocular inspection prior to the interview. Familiarize yourself with the campus, as well as the building and area where your interview will be held. Then, you should review the documents you submitted, especially your personal statement essay. As you know, admission interviews will be based on what you’ve written in your essay. You will be asked to expound on the details of your transcript as well the bits of information you wrote in your essay.
Check out sample law school personal statement websites which provide tips and tricks on how the things you say in your interview can complement or contradict the stuff you’ve written in your essay. If you’ve lost the copy of your essay, and accidentally deleted the file in your computer, don’t worry. You can read sample law school personal statement essays to help you remember the things you’ve written about yourself in your personal statement.
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Students who wish to make the most of their law school education know that securing internships is part of the grand schema of law studies. Every year, students clamor to get internships at the country’s top law firms. Below are some tips on how you can land your dream internship:
Explore your options
Before you start gathering brochures and visiting various law firms’ websites, you can consult your law school’s career and placement service department. They may be able to recommend law firms that are affiliated with your institution and make it easier for you to get in. You can also check out your school’s alumni network, and seek the help of someone currently employed or has tie-ups with top law firms. Exhaust the resources within your reach to score information and help on applying to your desired law firms.
Apply for pre-internship apprenticeship
If you have free time in your hand and your school work load isn’t that heavy, you may also want to consider applying for pre-internship apprenticeship. Some students apply for apprenticeship before the law school requires a law firm internship to increase their chances of getting an internship at a reputable law firm. Small law firms are ideal places for you to secure an apprenticeship because it will be easier for you to know and understand the ins and outs of law firms. By the time your school requires you to intern for a law firm, you’d already have an idea of what to do and a sense of the professional culture in law firms.
Take time to write your resume
While it’s considered standard procedure to list your achievements, skills, and educational background in your resume, going on and on about your awards and achievements for three or more pages will only bore the employer. Resumes should be concise and informative. List all the skills and qualifications you have that you think are relevant for carrying out the tasks of an intern. If you’ve engaged in non-profit and charity work, include the details of these in your resume as well. This is because some law firms look for well-rounded students who are into the practice of law not because of monetary gain, but their passion for seeking equality under the law.
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After graduating and passing the bar, lawyers who take the path of professional legal practice have to decide on the nature of their practice. Some immediately go for private practice and apply for positions in top law firms, while some may prefer to go into public practice and serve the government. Read on to find out the similarities and differences between public and private practice.
Private practice
One main reason why lawyers go for private practice in law firms is the financial rewards. Private lawyers can earn thousands of dollars in handling just one case. But aside from firms, lawyers can also go into private practice by serving as legal counsels to corporate clients. Some big-time companies hire their own in-house lawyers whose main responsibility is to handle whatever legal issues the company may face in labor practice and laws. Lawyers who want to maximize financial gain from their law school education would do well to go into private practice because it’s more financially rewarding than public legal practice.
Public practice
Lawyers who go into public practice are those employed the state or government to provide legal counsel and services to groups and individuals who do not have access to private lawyers. Pubic attorneys, or public defenders, hold noble jobs in that they ensure that the citizens’ right to be legally represented in courts is not violated. Cases of criminal nature are the ones often handled by public defenders, although handling labor and property cases is also commonplace.
The salaries of public defenders pale in comparison to those of private lawyers. Often, lawyers have to provide legal services pro bono because they represent people who cannot afford to get their own lawyers. The state shoulders the wages of public attorneys, which is not that impressive but is made up for by the numerous benefits and civil protection that they get.
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The requirements to hold public office do not include having a law degree. However, being a lawyer or having a law degree lends a certain edge to those who venture into politics. The knowledge gained in law school often translates to deep and informed understanding of the law. In this sense, a lawyer-politician can be seen as more able in formulating policies and legislations. Leadership and organization skills are either inborn or acquired, but an intensive knowledge of the law and pertinent legal matters can only be gained through a law school education.
This is not to say that law students are better suited to hold public office, as there are many knowledgeable and responsible politicians who do not have law degrees. They are spurred by their desire and commitment to serve the country and uphold the greater good. What we are saying, however, is that lawyers and law graduates can become promising politicians if they choose to. They can opt to put their knowledge and skills to good use by going into policy-making with the core principles of the Constitution in mind. The skills that lawyers acquire and will prove to be valuable for good governance include:
Excellent communication skills
Lawyers are trained to listen to people, assess their situations, and express their opinions and thoughts in an articulate manner. They are also equipped with good debating skills, something that is necessary if a politician is to lobby for policies and laws to be passed. In this sense, lawyers can make good politicians because having good communication skills ensures that they will be able to represent their constituents and bring to the surface the issues that need to be dealt with.
Analytical skills
Another skill that law school harnesses in their students is the ability to read and understand large volumes of text on laws, policies, and legal procedures. This skill is essential in politics because as policy makers, politicians have to carefully evaluate bills and policies and ensure that these don’t override existing laws.
Logical and critical thinking
The ability to employ logical and critical thinking is an essential skill that politicians should possess. This is because holding public office entails coming up with ways to address current issues and deciding which among the proposed solutions is feasible and effective. This type of thinking is often employed by lawyers when assessing court cases. Lawyers can make good politicians because they have years of experience in thinking critically and logically when faced with stifling situations and cases.
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From the time they enter law school to the time of legal practice, lawyers gain exceptional amounts of knowledge on the judiciary system and intricacies of Constitutional rights and procedures. This legal expertise and knowledge is one of the main reasons why lawyers can make good public servants if they ever decide to venture into politics.
Policy-making
Because lawyers are equipped with the technical and theoretical knowledge on legal matters, they are potential societal models when it comes to adhering to the laws. By having spent a significant amount of years studying the Constitution and the country’s legal history, lawyers can greatly contribute to processes of policy-making. They have the potential of ensuring that the laws formulated and passed are representative of the rights and limitations stated in the Constitution.
Another essential skill that politicians and policy-makers should have is the ability to read and absorb information in large amounts. Reading through bills and amendments and understanding the information therein is one of the tasks required of politicians. In this aspect, lawyers make ideal politicians because they’ve had years of experience going through volumes and volumes of written text. Their keenness and attention to detail is also a valuable trait to become effective politicians.
Being a politician also requires the ability to make logical arguments and discuss the pressing issues and matters that the country faces. Lawyers’ experience and knowledge on litigation and political debate make them ideal candidates for public office. For politicians to become effective representative of their constituents, they must be able to clearly express and discuss the pertinent issues in their jurisdiction.
Good governance
The ability to govern and lead people is not acquired by default in law school. But lawyers’ assumed adeptness at communication and interaction in socio-political settings is highly important to exhibit good governance. Being able to talk with, and relate to, fellow legislators, big audiences, and their constituents is necessary for good governance. In this sense, the political arena can even be seen as a larger courtroom for lawyers, where they are given the chance to represent the public and bring to the surface the pressing issues that proliferate at the different strata of society.
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Quality law education does not come cheap. This is why many students avail of scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid to help them finance their studies. Below are some of the financial aid options available for law students:
Student loans
Law students can apply for student loans from the federal government, as well as from companies, organizations, and private institutions. A lot of banks and other financial institutions also offer student loan plans, programs, and packages, that have low interest rates.
Merit-based financial aid
As the name implies, merit-based aid is granted to individuals who have good grades and are thus deserving of financial assistance to pursue their studies. Schools such as Duke University give grants to their applicants who meet the requirements for financial aid. Students can also apply for scholarships from foundations, organizations, and private individuals, who are dedicated to making education available to people from all walks of life.
Need-based financial aid
This type of financial assistance is granted to students who can prove that they can’t pay for their law education solely through their own means. In need-based financial aid programs, the amounts given to students are computed according to their documented and proven monetary needs. To compute this, institutions and schools take into account the student’s family income, nationality, etc.
Post-graduation service
Some companies and schools also grant financial aid to students in exchange for certain lengths of service after graduation. Harvard Law School, for one, has announced that it will pay for students’ tuition on their third year under the condition that these students will do post-graduation public service for five years. Similarly, students who applied for federal loans may also get loan forgiveness in exchange for service to government entities, charity organizations, army and military, etc. The length of service required varies depending on the school or institution, so make sure you read the loan terms and agreements before you sign up and apply.
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Like other higher learning institutions, law schools also place prime importance on grades as a measure of student performance. Because grades serve as the main tool by which academic performance is evaluated, students continually strive and aim for high marks. So much so that there has been a constant increase in the number of students who get high GPAs. This phenomenon, called grade inflation, has led many colleges and universities to raise their grade percentiles. By doing so, they’re able to place limits on the number of students who make it to the top ranks. And because top law firms look at applicants’ grades and rankings, one glaring implication of raising grade percentiles is that the number of students who get into prestigious law firms are also limited.
Grade-based law schools
Grade-based law schools face much criticism from certain academic groups because the grading system fosters tough, and often unhealthy, competition. Students who attend grade-based law schools deal with stress on a regular basis because the harsh grading system allows only a specific percentage of students to reach the top ranks in the class. While the fierce competition serves as a motivating factor for students to excel, it can also work to the detriment of some who simply cannot keep up with the stress of competing for high grades.
The downside to grade-based law schools is that not all the excellent students who rightly deserve to be on top are granted the high-ranking prestige. This is because of the specific limits placed on the number of students who will be considered as belonging to the top percentile ranks. The emphasis on getting high grades can also be unhealthy in that students may not necessarily be gaining knowledge, but merely devising ways by which they can get the highest grades.
Non-grade based law schools
Instead of the traditional percentage-based grading system, non-grade based law schools such as the Boalt Hall of Berkeley Law grade and group students into ranking categories such as High Honors, Honors, Pass, Substandard Pass, and No Credit. Non-grade based law schools also usually rank their students based not just on academics, but also on other aspects of student performance. Non-grade based law schools place flexible limits on who, and how many, gets High Honors and Honors rankings. Because of this, more excellent students are given the chance to belong to the top ranks — something which they truly deserve.
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