<p>So, I'm a junior at a reputable business school and I have come to realize that my concentration (Finance) is not the field that I want to enter immediately upon graduation. That said, I am planning to attend law school and possibly venture into the business/financial sector from there. </p>
<p>My main question is, do lawyers successfully transition from law into business?Or is it unlikely for a lawyer to become an executive at a large corporation?</p>
<p>Large corporations have in-house general counsels; I've known two of them who became Chief Financial Officer.</p>
<p>I've also known attorneys who became VP of Procurement, and others who headed HR.</p>
<p>It's much more common to have MBAs in each of those positions.</p>
<p>The fact of the matter is, earning a JD will provide a businessperson with an excellent, relevant education. Perhaps not to the same, relevant extent as an MBA, but valuable nonetheless. Many top executives hold JD's and not MBA's. But if you would like to do primarily business, then the recommendation would be to get an MBA.</p>
<p>Many lawyers do, in fact, move over to the business side after practicing for several years. I have law school classmates who are in investment banking, private equity, journalism, corporate management and other business-side jobs. That said, I don't think that going to law school is the best path to a career in business unless you wish to actually practice law for at least several years. There is no guarantee that you would ever be able to move over to the business side, and if you do, there is no specific time frame of when those opportunities may present themselves to you.</p>
<p>If you are certain that you want a business side career, I would recommend getting a job for at least a couple of years and then deciding whether to get a JD or MBA or whether to just skip an advanced degree.</p>
<p>If I do indeed go to law school, I will certainly become a lawyer for a number of years. I'm just a big fan of having options and wanted to know if movement to business is a path some JD graduates take in their futures (i.e. >10-15 years). </p>
<p>All in all, I think I'm just trying to find some relevance in my current studies to something a lawyer may do in his/her future. But the lack of relevance between the two will not affect my decision to go to LS. My future at this point is very fluid, but I can easily see myself as a lawyer as opposed to an investment banker and the like.</p>
<p>A JD is extremely versatile, so I wouldn't worry too much if you get a JD and do well at it.</p>