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The UPenn Express: J.D./M.B.A. in Just 3 Years

penn 3 year jd mba madness.JPGThe University of Pennsylvania Law School announced they will begin offering a J.D./M.B.A. program that can be completed in three years.

In order to make it work, Penn will concede a painfully obvious point: one year of law school is really all anybody needs. According to their press release:

Students in the new program will spend the first year in the Law School and the following summer in four Law and Wharton courses designed specifically for the three-year J.D./M.B.A. The second and third years will include a combination of Law and Wharton courses, including capstone courses in the third year and work experience in law, business, finance, or the public sector in the summer between the second and third years.

Applicants will still need to apply to the two schools separately. So, you’ll have to be able to get into Wharton on the strength of that multi-million dollar business you’ve been running out of your treehouse since you were eight.

Penn is not exactly breaking new ground here; Northwestern has been offering a 3-year J.D./M.B.A program for a few years. But maybe Penn just doesn’t fear the purple:

Penn’s three-year J.D./M.B.A. is the country’s first fully integrated three-year program offered by elite law and business schools.

You hear that Kellogg? Penn is calling you out.

Expect U.S. News & World Report’s highly anticipated “Best 3-Year J.D./M.B.A Programs In the Lower 48 States” issue to be coming out soon to help college graduates make a decision.

Penn Law and Wharton Create 3-Year JD/MBA Degree [University of Pennsylvania Law School]

Comments

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1 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:05 PM

OH, man. This is awful, awful news.

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2 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:06 PM

Is that at the Carlisle or Happy Valley campus?

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3 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:11 PM

I hope it's at the Bratislava campus!

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4 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:12 PM

I can easily think of a few partners in Thelen that could have used a business class or two in learning how to manage a law firm.

-disgruntled associate with a cute ass

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5 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:12 PM

Penn State University = TTT

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6 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:13 PM

2: This is no longer amusing. The post clearly refers to the Philadelphia campus, which includes Whardon. Whardon is probably the best state business school in the country, so please take your trolling elsewhere.

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7 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:13 PM

This is perfect. After several years of working for the bankers, most biglaw attorneys have the desire to switch to the banking side fto work for less hours and double the pay.

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8 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:14 PM

LOL@"Whardon."

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9 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:14 PM

Um, 5, there's a clear difference between Penn State (a big 10 school) and the University of Pennsylvania (an IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL). Learn something before you go throwing around terms like TTT.

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10 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:15 PM

6

Whardon =/= Wharton

You, sir, are obviously the fine product of a TTT education.

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11 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:17 PM

This is perfect. After several years of working for the bankers, most biglaw attorneys have the desire to switch to the banking side fto work for less hours and double the pay.

That is, assuming that they can get a job in the financial sector at all. Lehman's in trouble, and the others are axing people. Yeah, good idea to be a MBA right now.

Moron.

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12 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:17 PM

10: Okay, Wharton, whatever. My point remains the same.

Oh, and I got into UPenn. I just didn't qualify for the in-state tuition.

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13 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:19 PM

#7-

Yeah, bankers really work fewer hours for double the pay! Most bankers work 90+ hrs/week, including weekends, AND they're in constant fear of being laid off for a year or more.

And banking is so much more fun than law. Instead of doing doc review or dd, you get to build excel models and draft ppt slides. That's SO much more exciting!

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14 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:19 PM

9,10: New here?

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15 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:21 PM

5 - Did you foget? It's not Whardon, it's Warden (as in game, prison, church). The school prepares people for caretaker positions in the service industry. This new program will be offered at all of the campuses, including Hazleton. Bravo PennState-Philly, out breaking new ground (or is it wind) again.

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16 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:21 PM

and, UPenn is private.

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17 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:22 PM

you people that are getting upset over upennstate references are obviously new to this site and the running joke concerning penn.

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18 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:23 PM

14: It's just not the same without the hilariously indignant PS/UP comments. Glad that I was convincing.

-9

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19 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:23 PM

is it warden or warton?

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20 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:24 PM

6 sorry for calling you 5. You're obviously not a law student or you wouldn't have known about Warden and if you use TTT you'd have to be a law student.

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21 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:24 PM

9 : Yeah, I totally agree. It sounds so stupid, it is almost as if they were making a joke about UPenn people being sensitive about confusing it with Penn State!

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22 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:26 PM

10, well done on catching 6's error. Indeed wharton does not equal whardon. But you also forgot to distinguish the warden school, which is located at a small little known private collegel located in downtown Philly. The warden school which, as you probably can guess trains future prison wardens, is a bit of an anachorism from pre civil war days. Rumor has it that the private school is trying to shed the warden school in an effort to join the ivy league.

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23 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:29 PM

The only thing UPenn has going for it is relative proximity to the Marathon Grill. The rest of Philly is a TTT.

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24 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:32 PM

Are you sure its not whoreton?

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25 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:33 PM

Philly is not TTT!
Let's Go Eagles!
#5 = MVP!!

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26 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:35 PM

4 -- prove it.

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27 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:41 PM

"bankers really work fewer hours for double the pay!"

You're talking about the teller at your local Wachovia, aren't you 13?

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28 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:43 PM

Widener is offering a combo JD/MBA/CPA program that only takes a year. Suck it, UPEN.

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29 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:45 PM

My roommate is an investment banker at Core States Bank in Philly. He makes double what the lawyers make and he's done by 3pm everyday.

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30 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:47 PM

This validates Northwestern's decision to offer their accelerated program many years ago.

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31 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:50 PM

Core States Bank = TTT hemorrhoid.

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32 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:51 PM

UPenn State is now offering a joint degree program in law and the vocational training of your choice. Auto-Repair, IT Professional, Typist. You get to choose.

You do have to get into the vocational training program separately, though.

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33 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:53 PM

Of course once again Penn is behind the curve. Temple Law offered a 3 year dual program for years; more proof that Penn Law is no more than Temple's red-headed stepchild.

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34 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:54 PM

Wow, I checked the comments to see how long it took for a UPennState gag... not long at all. In fact it is most of the comments. ATTTL rules.

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35 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:56 PM

We dont get MBAs, we tease MBAs. Hope Winters.

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36 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 5:57 PM

I bet you could download a JD/PhD/MBA from UPhoenix online by bedtime.

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37 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:01 PM

I don't care what you have to say, #9, U Penn St. is *not* a good school!!!

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38 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:03 PM

9: I'm not picking up what you're putting down. U Penn St. is a TTT - I stand by my comment. You are an idiot!

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39 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:04 PM

Well played, UPenn State, well played.

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40 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:06 PM

Stop bashing the UPenn State system. Their overseas program in Bratislava is second to none.

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41 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:08 PM

25 - if you have to tell people that something is not TTT, it is.

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42 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:12 PM

So, law students come out of school knowing jack about law, and both law students and MBA's come out of school with a sense of entitlement a mile long. So these new grads will have even less knowledge of the law and even greater entitlement issues.

Though I commend them on trying to develop a specific curriculum for these students.

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43 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:24 PM

Crap, I should have waited to go to law school. I could've had a JD AND AN MBA for the same # of years, with less suffering. Of course, I would know no more or less, but other people would be impressed that I had both degrees, right?

- Getting Old

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44 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:24 PM

This is definitely not intended for Cravath material.

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45 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:31 PM

22: I think your comment might qualify as one of the all-time worst comments in the history of Above the Law. I bet you're a pleasure to hang with socially. A real hoot. Holy shit.

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46 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:35 PM

I just enrolled in the JD/Bank Teller program.

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47 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:50 PM

UPENN STATE OMG! LOL!!!! Joe Pa!!! OMG that is hilarious. I am LULZING right now!!! almost like Umichichigan state. Tom Izzo is the coach there!!

Still Lulzing. IALMAORN (i am lulzing my ass off right now).

long live autoadmit
free Ciolli

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48 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:56 PM

47,

It would stop being funny when douches stopped correcting it...

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49 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 7:09 PM

Does anyone know if the JD/MBA degree will be offered at the Altoona branch? Better yet, did UPenn finally take the plunge and open a law school at the Altoona branch?

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50 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 7:10 PM

Princeton Law pwns UPEN and they hate being reminded of it.

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51 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 7:19 PM

48: You forget that there are trolls on both sides, confusing UPenn/Penn State and correcting those original trolls. It's a giant ATL trolling clusterfuck!

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52 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 7:24 PM

One year of law; Two years of useful courses. The way it should be.

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53 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 8:02 PM

ClusterGULC.

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54 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 8:30 PM


Dude, if I got into Wharton why the f--- would I waste a year as a 1L?

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55 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 8:55 PM

since it's two degrees, is it twice the in-state tuition?

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56 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 8:59 PM

UPENN STATE!! BEST JOKE EVER!!!!!!

LULZ!!

AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT AUTO-AD-MIT

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57 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:00 PM

12,
UPenn is a private school. There is no in-state tuition, smart guy.

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58 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:07 PM

57 = 48

clever

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59 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:08 PM

Any sense for what the tuition is? If you know you're going to commit three-years to law school and know that you want to practice transactional law, why wouldn't you do it if it were the same price as a three-year JD? Law school is mostly litigation focused anyway. My guess is that they'll charge significantly more than they would for the three-year JD.

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60 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:10 PM

Is UPenn State the same school as Penn State-Philly? And what is an Auto Admit? Do you still have to take the LSAT?

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61 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:15 PM

HAHAHAHAHHAAHA

yeah 60-- youre with me. i knw you are. XOXO-HTH XOXO-HTH UPENN STATE LULZ LULZ LULZ

hey-- Im having my 23rd bday tomorrow night at one of the hottest clubs in NYC. lots of v5 firms do events there. maybe some UPENN STATE grads will be there. XO XO HTH!!! JOE PA JOE PA JOE PA

free ciolli

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62 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:29 PM

61 - what's ciolli? Does it taste like chicken?

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63 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:56 PM

CHICKEN!!! LULZING!!!!

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64 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 10:10 PM

Why would an MBA guy take law classes? It's a waste of time and money.

If you are a Law guy, the only reason you would take an MBA class is that you have a weak resume or going to a weak law school.

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65 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 10:35 PM

64: legal consulting. i'm dual, but in penn's 4 year program, and that's my reasoning.

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66 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 10:38 PM

or in-house counsel. may need to have knowledge of sec filings, etcetc.

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67 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 11:21 PM

Why go to graduate school when you can bill yourself out at $300 with just a high school degree?

http://www.bustedcoverage.com/?p=7075

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68 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 11:28 PM

66: People have done legal work for corporations for decades without an MBA. It looks like a scam to squeeze more money out of students. If law schools were truly interested in producing competent students, they would have electives that teach what is required to be competent in the business field. It's a three year education for goodness sake! Oh yeah... law school should get rid of all the crap courses like law and sexuality, whatever that is. It's too easy for people to get A's in those classes and make themselves appear intelligent when they are dumber than doorknobs. If they want to take "theory" courses, they should take a Ph.D program is social science.

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69 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 11:44 PM

HAHAHA!!!

LOL @ "first ELITE school"!!! Penn really views themselves in a league above NU, like YHS. That's cute.

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70 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:04 AM

"views itself" 69. You remember, singular noun-singular verb. And CNBC is the league above NU. YHS is two leagues up.

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71 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 1:22 AM

Look, I know I will catch all kinds of TTT s*&t for this, but Richmond has had this program for years. Really, you elitists should get over yourselves. I graduated from Richmond over twenty years ago, practiced great law and I AM RICH!!!! Go back to your cubicles, people.

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72 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 1:44 AM

Ok, so you are rich. But you graduated from Richmond. There are GULCers who would be embarrassed to have a degree from Richmond. It takes a goddamn awful amount of money to compensate for being a Richmond grad.

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73 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 7:26 AM

as someone who hires law student this does not make me happy - but i am sure penn (which is what those of us who, thank God, actually went to top law schools call it) did its diligence before announcing this abortion of a program

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74 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 8:14 AM

Warton sucks. I goto TUCK and that was my first choice. Employers know....TUCK rules. TUCK!! TUCK ! TUCK !

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75 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 8:30 AM

Didn't Dickinson College offer a JD/MBA before Penn bought its law school?

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76 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 8:39 AM

Didn't Tom Ridge and Rick Santorum graduate from Penn Law?

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77 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 8:55 AM

75, that's probably where Penn got the idea.

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78 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:02 AM

this sounds like a very valuable degree. non-science masters are joke anyway; this further dilution isn't going to help.

everyone wave as penn embarks on its few remaining spins down the crapper.

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79 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:50 AM

As I understand it, you don't actually learn anything in an MBA program, it's just an extended OCI. The JD curriculum is not particularly useful either. So what is the point, are corporate recruiters really going to be impressed with your extensive knowledge of your law seminar professor's last book? Are legal recruiters going to be impressed that after your MBA program you still have to beg them for the opportunity to do doc. review? If your going to get a dual degree, get it in something useful so that when the economy tanks both financial services and the legal industry you can still make rent as a dental hygienist.

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80 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:05 AM

I go to UPenn state law (long live autoadmit). got a mixture of As and Bs as a 1L. probably around top 30%. I got offers at 3 v5 firms last year. and about 10 others in the top 25 or so. im skipping it all and going to work as GC at a bank.

so.... apparently people practicing law and making hiring decisions view the upenn state law diploma in a different light than the people reading this blog-- who should really be studying harder for the LSAT so they can crack 170, and join me

HTH

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81 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:15 AM

I thought that you need to score only 157-160 on the LSAT to be admitted to UPenn State?

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82 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:25 AM

157-160!!! UPENN STATE!!! LULZ LULZ LULZ LULZ

I mean....

81, dont you realize that Upenn and Upenn state are two totally different schools?

see what I did there? clevvvvvver.

we are all so clever.

GO LAW!!!

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83 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:28 AM

33: Temple got rid of their 3 year JD/MBA program about 3 years ago....now it is a 4 year program

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84 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:29 AM

33: Temple got rid of their 3 year JD/MBA program about 3 years ago....now it is a 4 year program

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85 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:33 AM

I feel like I am about 16 years old when I read this blog

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86 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:36 AM

85-- same here. granted, 16 was only 4 years ago for me


UPENN STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE

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87 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:47 AM

70 -- Disagree. Penn's law school is certainly not in a "league" above NU's law school. It is debatable whether one is marginally more "prestigious" than the other, but they're definitely both in the same "league" by almost any objective definition. Same with Penn's b-school and NU's b-school. Both Kellogg and Wharton are extremely selective and prestigious, but fall short of Harvard.

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88 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:49 AM

Not sure what's so funny about a 157-160 LSAT score. I got a 153, and I know that I am a better lawyer, and earn more money, than the dolts on this blog.

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89 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:55 AM

Wardon...
Public in-state tuition...
TTT...

I graduated from a TTT law school. I work for a top 25 firm. I know that Wharton has an excellent MBA program. I guess T does not equal overall knowledge or the ability to know when you do not know enough to post!

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90 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:55 AM

87. not even close on wharton - kelllog comparison. closer on Penn law - NU. but Penn Law is still more highly regarded by anyone who knows what they are talking about,

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91 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:55 AM

87: Nope. Here are the prestige leagues:

HYS

CCN

MVP -- Michigan, Virginia, Penn

GNCD -- Georgetown, Northwestern

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92 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 11:07 AM

JD/MBA grad here. V5 biglaw in NYC. Former Ibanker. Bankers don't make twice what biglaw associates do -- until they make VP, and the average NYC biglaw partner does better than a large majority of the MDs at banks (unless you're talking Participating MDs at Goldman or something).

True in 2005/2006 Bankers owned Biglaw on pay - but biglaw has gone up and banking associate pay will be lucky to crack $200k this year.

Bankers work Wachtell hours all the time. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

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93 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:01 PM

WTF? Stanford has had a 3-yr JD/MBA program for awhile.

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94 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:32 PM

92: Thank you. I'm so glad that someone finally dispelled that idiotic "iBankers make twice what associates make on bonus alone" meme.

iBankers also have much less job security, and they're *totally* fungible in comparison to BigLaw associates. You could lay-off everyone on your trade floor and nobody would blink twice.

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95 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:43 PM

92: Why do bankers work Wachtell hours? The trading is open between 9:30 to 4. What could they possibly be doing before or after those times?

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96 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 1:52 PM

95, Sending out their resume.

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97 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 2:26 PM

95 - filling out law school applications.

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98 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 2:47 PM

92: 7 years to make partner at a law firm (if you get selected) vs. 2 years to make VP (probable to make VP since they are a dime a dozen).

JDs will never make more than MBA's because it's the MBA's that pay your salary.

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99 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 2:51 PM

JD/MBA degrees are a scam. It only proves that a law degree is useless. Heck... a paralegal can do your job.

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100 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2008 7:53 PM

95: Turning tricks to keep their banks solvent.

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