<p>This is a very broad question. Please bear with me.</p>
<p>My goal after 30-40 years is to become an influential figure within government. After doing some research on the background of current high government officials, I've noticed that there's really no set path. Even through my experience with local campaigns, I've seen a variety of credentials within business, law, education, etc.</p>
<p>My question is: What is the "best" route to follow if your end goal is Washington? As of now I have my focus set on careers within high finance because a.) I'll be able to live more than comfortably, b.) I'll be surrounded by other extremely motivated individuals with valuable networks, and c.) if I get EXTREMELY lucky and somehow make it big, I might be able to fund my own campaign(s).</p>
<p>What would you do? Go to law school? Get involved straight out of undergrad? Become a professional bodybuilder and get offered a movie role as a badass robot sent from the future before running for governor of California?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Do a stint of active military duty</p>
<p>In the US, there have been the most instances in the world of lawyers becoming the president. Even more lawyers -> Secretary of State. And even more lawyers -> Senate, etc. Not that I’m saying it’ll be easy once you get your JD. You’d have to a) have gotten your JD from a highly prestigious law school (e.g. Yale, Harvard, etc) and b) be very politically active (run for office at your first opportunity - look at the presidents: Bush, Obama, Clinton, etc). </p>
<p>Even those don’t guarantee it because there are TONS of lawyers that graduate from top law schools. </p>
<p>You can also take the route of attaining a large corporate office </p>
<p>In the US, there have been the most instances in the world of lawyers becoming the president. Even more lawyers -> Secretary of State. And even more lawyers -> Senate, etc. Not that I’m saying it’ll be easy once you get your JD. You’d have to a) have gotten your JD from a highly prestigious law school (e.g. Yale, Harvard, etc) and b) be very politically active (run for office at your first opportunity - look at the presidents: Bush, Obama, Clinton, etc). </p>
<p>Even those don’t guarantee it because there are TONS of lawyers that graduate from top law schools. </p>
<p>You can also take the route of attaining a large corporate office </p>
<p>In the US, there have been the most instances in the world of lawyers becoming the president. Even more lawyers -> Secretary of State. And even more lawyers -> Senate, etc. Not that I’m saying it’ll be easy once you get your JD. You’d have to a) have gotten your JD from a highly prestigious law school (e.g. Yale, Harvard, etc) and b) be very politically active (run for office at your first opportunity - look at the presidents: Bush, Obama, Clinton, etc). </p>
<p>Even those don’t guarantee it because there are TONS of lawyers that graduate from top law schools. </p>
<p>You can also take the route of attaining a large corporate office </p>
<p>Sorry - something is seriously wrong with my internet/computer. What I meant to say was - </p>
<p>You can also take the route of attaining a large corporate office position in finance, banking, investing, etc. Think huge bankers you know. You’d have to become wealthy enough to influence politicians.</p>
<p>I hope I made sense to you LOL</p>
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<p>That’s exactly what I was thinking. I wouldn’t want to lose my sense of self-dignity just to market myself so that I can receive funding from XYZ. </p>
<p>In regards to your internet–don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>Wait I totally forgot… What about a dual JD/MBA program?</p>
<p>I’ll probably need the MBA after working 3-5 years in Investment Banking/Private Equity so if I still have an interest in jumping into politics, would throwing in the JD be beneficial?</p>
<p>@Carotid I had wondered the same thing about the dual degree thing, but a lawyer informed me that a dual degree doesn’t necessarily give you an upper hand. If you want to go into business, get an MBA. If you want to become a lawyer, get a JD. Don’t straggle in between the two.</p>
<p>However, I do know of a couple of lawyers (who got pure JDs) that are now doing a lot of investing/banking. They probably went from corporate lawyers to legal consultants for large banks to specializing in finance. You can do a lot with a JD.</p>
<p>@absentions</p>
<p>HAHAHAHA you HAVE to check this out! I was just reading this and literally laughed out loud.</p>
<p>This is a quote from the assistant dean and director of MBA admissions at Stanford GSB as he describes a JD/MBA candidate:</p>
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</p>
<p><a href=“http://poetsandquants.com/2013/11/05/jdmbas-whos-crazy-enough-to-get-both-degrees/”>http://poetsandquants.com/2013/11/05/jdmbas-whos-crazy-enough-to-get-both-degrees/</a></p>
<p>What an odd coincidence. :)) </p>
<p>/thread ;)</p>
<p>Get rich, throw money in the right places. Run for office!</p>
<p>This is SUCH a CMC post.</p>