<p>I'm thinking of Joint MBA/JD Program.
For MBA, most schools want applicants to have at least 3 years of work experience before applying to their program.
Do Law School admissions work in similar fashion?</p>
<p>Or do most students go to Law School right after getting their B.A/B.S?
Does this put me in any disadvantage?</p>
<p>It seems that the majority of law students (at least at most highly-ranked schools) work first. I only went to one Accepted Students day, but of the many, many people I met there, I was one of two who had applied to go straight out of undergrad (and I ended up deferring for a year). The average age of 1Ls at most schools that I looked at was 25 (some students work, others go to grad school, others go on fellowships...reasons vary). Some schools are known for really emphasizing work experience while others are known for taking a lot of students straight from undergrad. </p>
<p>Whether or not a few years of work/graduate experience will give you an advantage is debated on this board, but I don't think I've ever read that it (in itself) could put you at a disadvantage. Just hearsay.</p>
<p>Objection, hearsay.</p>
<p>Just kidding. Anyway private law schools cost like $60k a year including living expenses. I don't think you can AFFORD law school without digging yourself into a black hole of debt or working a couple years first and saving up money. Even after financial aid (which top schools like Harvard give out like candy), money from parents, scholarships and money from summering at biglaw, you're still left with a good chunk to cover, probably around $60-80k for the three years.</p>
<p>It also doesn't hurt to get experience outside of law, which you can help make sure that you want to become a lawyer.</p>
<p>Try working at like a Fortune 500 company or something....I guess you'll get bonus points for not working at some BS paralegal job....although if you paralegaled at Cravath, that's a different story.</p>
<p>What exactly is BS about being a paralegal for a couple of years before law school? </p>
<p>Many people work as paralegals to determine whether law is the right career for them before applying to law school. I know for a fact that many of the big law firms in NYC, for example, have programs for people right out of college, where they work as paralegals for two years (usually the firm requires a two-year commitment) before heading off to law school or elsewhere. Many paralegals gain a tremendous amount insight into what really goes on at BIGLAW, while gaining before making experience in what may become their chosen field before making a huge financial commitment to law school.</p>
<p>Well if a lot of people worked as paralegals at biglaw, or worked for a senator, and that constitutes a majority of people who apply, people who worked corporate jobs are in the minority, thus in the eyes of an admissions counselor at a law school, a plus, because they're in shorter supply, and having people come from many different backgrounds is a plus for any educational institution.</p>
<p>I don't mean to be overly argumentative, however, it is more important that you go into a job which will help you decide between incurring a significant opportunity cost for law school or not going into law at all, rather than worrying about getting into law school. Your primary objective in getting a job before you make a commitment to law should be whether or not law will be enjoyable for you. (Unless one absolutely knows they want to be a lawyer).</p>
<p>It is a REALLY good idea to work at a law firm as a paralegal before law school; you'll know if you really want to invest the time and $$ to become an attorney. Big law firms expect a lot of hours on weekends and holidays and late nights. You don't know how hard it is until you've done it.</p>
<p>A friend worked for three years as a mechanical engineer, did well and got several few patents on medical devices, but decided he wanted a punchier career like law. He goes to Fordham Law nights; he works at a large NYC law firm days. They pay him well into six figures for being a "technical specialist" as well as paying his tuition.<br>
If you have a technical background and can work in intellectual property law, you can write your own ticket.</p>
<p>My objective is actually saving up money, so I won't have to graduate with 6 figures in debt.</p>
<p>As for deciding that I want to practice law, I did that a long time ago.</p>
<p>
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Big law firms expect a lot of hours on weekends and holidays and late nights.
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</p>
<p>And big banking and big consulting don't?</p>
<p>Boys, you bring up an excellent point, the work you do before law school can also be leveraged into a niche in law. If you can find something you like to do outside of law, but you still wish to pursue law, then having a specialized skill will help increase your employment prospects, and it will also provide more job security than just being a run of the mill attorney. (Not to mention you might enjoy those long hours more).</p>
<p>I'm really interested in finance and capital markets and such, but I don't want to be in big banking forever. And the law as a subject just fascinates me. So I figure I'll work in big banking for a couple years and save up some money and go to law school, then leverage the experience to get into biglaw where I'll subsequently be considered/labeled a corporate law specialist, I guess.</p>
<p>Pretty much by the time I get into biglaw, I'll be used to having worked long corporate analyst hours in finance.....which is probably a lot longer than biglaw associate hours. Besides, I don't really sleep, so long hours don't really bother me.</p>
<p>You guys just convinced me not to major in law! Imagine, after all of years of work, just when you graduate and are ready to begin your life fresh with a degree and everything in your pocket, you will have the feeling of being weighed down by debt of several tens of thousands of dollers.</p>