<p>I hold a place at Cambridge university (studying Philosophy) and was wondering how schools such as Harvard and Yale view an Oxbridge education. Would I be at a disadvantage, an advantage, or roughly the same as ivy league applicants?</p>
<p>Additionally, how do law schools look at military experience? By the time I graduate, I will have attended officer school for two years and be a first lieutenant of the reserve (in Denmark, my native country). Is this an advantage?</p>
<p>Lastly, I might choose to work for a couple of years in investment banking/private equity to have better chances at getting into the JD/MBA programs at top schools. Is such experience only valuable for the business schools or also for law schools? What about a year of active duty in the Army?</p>
Lastly, I might choose to work for a couple of years in investment banking/private equity to have better chances at getting into the JD/MBA programs at top schools. Is such experience only valuable for the business schools or also for law schools? What about a year of active duty in the Army?
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<li> I'd like to hear of this new 1 year service obligation of active duty officers in the Army...</li>
<li> You can "choose" to work for investment banking/private equity as if they are begging you to work for them?</li>
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<li>- I'm Danish, as you would have picked up if you read my post. In Denmark there is no service obligation.</li>
<li>- Yes, I have quite good chances of working in private equity/IB after Cambridge.</li>
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<p>I only know a little about it, but..FWIW..My understanding is that a lot will depend on what kind of degree you get. To have a good shot, you need a first. A 2:1 is "translated" as a 3.5 and you're unlikely to get into H or Y law with that. You will need to get a high LSAT score too. </p>
<p>Military experience is a bit of a plus. Work experience also a plus, though less so than military experience. At Yale, THAT kind of WE experience is unlikely to help. Yale has a unique admissions process and it tends to like those who are academic or altruistic. Time working for Doctors Without Borders or some such organization will help a lot more for YLS than IB. That's just based on anecdotal evidence. </p>
<p>Remember that getting an American law degree does not automatically give you a right to stay in the US and work here.</p>
<p>I can't imagine that knowledge of another country's legal system and $100,000-$170,000 in debt (at what is likely to be a high interest rate, given that your ability to qualify for loans subsidized by the US government will be limited and the schools you're discussing are not known for their merit aid, particularly to international students) would be the best way to begin a career, but maybe that's just me. It sounds like you're a long way off from having to make the decision, or even getting the opportunity to make the decision, anyway.</p>
<p>You're allowed to sign an officer contract for 1 year? Jesus, in the US it can take well over 6 months just to finish your initial training, and you still won't know jack about being a real PL for much longer than that. </p>
<p>I don't see how a contract like that would be beneficial to anyone involved unless most just happen to want to stay.</p>
<p>Aze, I don't understand why you'd want to get an American JD if you're just going to go back to Denmark. Knowledge of the US legal system likely isn't going to help you get with the bar in Denmark, or even Canada. assuming you want to become a lawyer, you'll be better off going to law school in the country in which you want to practice. If you want to practice law in the UK, get a UK law degree.</p>
<p>Exactly why do you want to get a JD in the US? I guess that's the first thing we need to know.</p>