Which degree is more worthless: an mba degree from a no name school or a law degree from a bad school?

4 Responses to Which degree is more worthless: an mba degree from a no name school or a law degree from a bad school?

1. Box Tops Queen

   August 13, 2010 at 11:56 am

   An MBA does not always mean finance/banking etc. It encompasses a wide variety of markets.

   Lawyers, yup, we have too many of them.
2. LegallyDrunk

   August 13, 2010 at 12:19 pm

   The J.D. isn’t really the goal of going to law school. Your goal is to pass the bar of a state so that you can be authorized to practice law.
   That said someone with a J.D. can do anything someone with an MBA can do, as if either degree is worthless, but an MBA can’t practice law without going to law school.
   Bad School or great school, all that really matters is who you know.
3. trescoco

   August 13, 2010 at 12:33 pm

   MBA is a different degree that a J.D.

   A J.D. person can have a BA degree before going to law school, but still won’t get the job of someone who has an MBA — they have more education…

   An MBA can’t do the same thing that a person with a J.D. can do.

   Both degrees put you in a better economic place when it comes to finding a job than just having a bachelor’s degree…

   You have to pass the bar exam of the state to practice law… and that does create a minimum standard for lawyers, however you may be able to use your score to beat out other new lawyers to get a better job….

   MBA’s you can take other tests to prove your worth too… can’t tell you what they are though, but in that instance where you go does open doors for you.

   So does where you go for law school…
4. TheOrange Evil

   August 13, 2010 at 12:46 pm

   The legal market is saturated, although I admit that jobs are suffering across the board in all sectors of the economy. You’re not guaranteed a job with almost any advanced degree, even from a prestigious school, but the question isn’t whether you’re guaranteed a good job, but what your odds of getting a good job. And, while I can’t speak for MBA programs, I know that your odds are much, much better if you go to a top law school.

   Some here are suggesting that you can get a JD from anywhere and that you just need to pass the bar to get a job. That couldn’t be further from the truth. 1 – you don’t get a bar ‘score,’ you PASS or DON’T PASS the bar. 2 – hiring from the top firms is based on your first-year grades and the prestige of your school. Firms basically recruit at law schools like sports teams do at universities and high schools. Firms interview you after your first summer and, if they like you, they offer you a summer associate position for your second summer. And, if they still like you, you might get a job offer by the time you graduate. Many firms target the top schools and won’t even go to the lower-ranked schools. Thus, if you go to a low-ranked school, you might be on your own at graduation looking for a job. You’ll also have fewer opportunities to clerk or go into academia, depending on what you want. While it’s not a death sentence to go to a low-ranked law school, it’s certainly difficult and the odds are against you. When you know graduates of top 25 schools who aren’t getting jobs, then you wonder how the kids going to tier three and tier four schools are doing.