12-22-2009, 02:26 AM
Motivation and passion are the two most important factors. The ultimate goal for most people is to have flexibility and and self-employment, or employment with a great salary and benefits. Both professions require hard work and good people skills. I will share my experience.
I got laid off in April and decided to improve my education. I had always been interested in law and found that in California, you do not even need a bachelor's degree, but just three CLEP scores to get into an affordable school. Also, in CA you do not need an ABA approved school to sit for the bar. The school does need to be California Bar approved, and my school was. I thought it would be a great investment and thought I would really like the subject. Additionally I could get my degree online, and this was another CA benefit.
A JD will open a lot of professional doors. The problem was I began to really hate the content. I do like puzzles, logic, and reasoning, but this was just too dry. Too much emphasis on previous cases and definitions. Extremely thick arguments that ended with opinions, which are then dissented by other opinions. This just wasn't what I expected when I imagined law school. Very formal and rigid. Not exciting at all. Lacked the type of creativity and innovation that I like. I dropped out in November. First-year low students have a high dropout rate, so I would make sure there is a refund policy in case you don't like your career. Better to swallow your pride now than ten years down the line if you don't like your profession.
That same month I ditched law school, I re-explored the Excelsior option that I had briefly looked at from this website when studying for my CLEP admissions. I had only 51 credits when I started. With about 6 weeks of DSST/CLEP mania, I'm now over 100 and expect to graduate with a B.S.L.A. in Literature and Pyschology in a few months. I have also researched some MBA backgrounds.
I haven't experienced the MBA curriculum so I can't comment on that, although it does seem challenging and requiring more personal creativity and flexibility. The MBA degree can be completed in 18 months and Amberton, a reasonably well regarded RA school, will cost under 10K for the total program. For an MBA the accrediting is more lenient than the JD. RA accreditation is acceptable almost anywhere. There are some "gold standard" accreditations that may help your job prospects, but most are expensive and not online. An RA MBA, even if not gold-standard accredited, will still be infinitely more valuable than a non-ABA law school, where you are basically paying for a degree and not a licensed career as an attorney (except in a few states.)
Back to the law school option. Just be aware that if you want to sit for the bar, and you do not live in California, Massachusetts, or a couple of southern states, you will NEED an ABA accredited school. There are ZERO online ABA schools, and you should expect to pay close to 50,000, for a reasonable and non-elite school for the entire three year curriculum. Plan to pay double that if you want a name brand law school. A high price tag and inflexible three year program are mandatory for ABA, and mandatory for your career which begins after the BAR exam. The legal industry can be swayed by your school's reputation when considering your resume. The legal education industry has been both praised and criticized for being inflexible by not allowing JDs from online schools in most states. Additionally, if you do not have an ABA Juris Doctorate, and even if you pass the California exam, you will not be able to practice law in other states. Just be aware of this. In other words, you need ABA, and therefore you need three years of brick and mortar. You'll probably have a lot of debt. Just be careful about online "accreditation" because DETC, etc. don't mean squat on Bar licensing. ABA is all that matters. Also note that JD programs are considered professional degrees and do not have any RA accreditation, no matter which school. Sorry to keep hammering home the point, but its all about ABA accreditation.
In terms of career and salary, I agree that a Juris Doctorate will give you more security by being a licensed attorney. You might have to work in a law firm for years, but eventually the idea of a private practice is appealing. You could have a flexible career. An MBA is much more of a wild card and does not guarantee a professional security, but it is flexible and allows you to branch out into different business related occupations. I'm not sure I agree with the salaries listed in this thread. Of course, most salaries depend on your local job market and the demand for your expertise. A few websites that compare salaries (google them) do not show a huge difference in the salaries between MBA or JD graduates. It seems that 100K is around the norm after a few years, but experience is the key to advancing.
Talk to attorneys and ask them if they like their career. I got some negative feedback which made me hesitant to try law school. I tried it anyway and was glad I did because now I know what I don't want to do. That's just me. Many attorneys enjoy their profession. It's empowering to know the law and have the ability to protect your rights.
If you are thinking about a JD, you might want to try some sample classes or find forums online for feedback. Same with MBA. I am still researching heavily the idea of an MBA. I like that it is faster more cost-effective, accessible online (flexible), with much less emphasis on how much you paid for a household name degree.
To me the biggest appeal of a JD, if that is your passion, is your professional degree and more stability, as long as your area is not overly-saturated with attorneys. Business is a very broad subject with a higher ceiling, if you have the talent. Also, the MBA allows you to figure out which area of business or management you like the most, whereas the J.D. does limit you to attorney work, albeit in a somewhat flexible specialties.
Good luck to you whichever one you choose... with dedication and passion either degree is something to proud of. Don't be discouraged by my bad experience in law school... that is just a subjective preference, and there are plenty of attorneys who enjoy their work. Personally, I like the career goal of starting a business with an unlimited ceiling someday.
Message me if I can help you anymore. I have done a lot of research on both graduate options.
Daniel
I got laid off in April and decided to improve my education. I had always been interested in law and found that in California, you do not even need a bachelor's degree, but just three CLEP scores to get into an affordable school. Also, in CA you do not need an ABA approved school to sit for the bar. The school does need to be California Bar approved, and my school was. I thought it would be a great investment and thought I would really like the subject. Additionally I could get my degree online, and this was another CA benefit.
A JD will open a lot of professional doors. The problem was I began to really hate the content. I do like puzzles, logic, and reasoning, but this was just too dry. Too much emphasis on previous cases and definitions. Extremely thick arguments that ended with opinions, which are then dissented by other opinions. This just wasn't what I expected when I imagined law school. Very formal and rigid. Not exciting at all. Lacked the type of creativity and innovation that I like. I dropped out in November. First-year low students have a high dropout rate, so I would make sure there is a refund policy in case you don't like your career. Better to swallow your pride now than ten years down the line if you don't like your profession.
That same month I ditched law school, I re-explored the Excelsior option that I had briefly looked at from this website when studying for my CLEP admissions. I had only 51 credits when I started. With about 6 weeks of DSST/CLEP mania, I'm now over 100 and expect to graduate with a B.S.L.A. in Literature and Pyschology in a few months. I have also researched some MBA backgrounds.
I haven't experienced the MBA curriculum so I can't comment on that, although it does seem challenging and requiring more personal creativity and flexibility. The MBA degree can be completed in 18 months and Amberton, a reasonably well regarded RA school, will cost under 10K for the total program. For an MBA the accrediting is more lenient than the JD. RA accreditation is acceptable almost anywhere. There are some "gold standard" accreditations that may help your job prospects, but most are expensive and not online. An RA MBA, even if not gold-standard accredited, will still be infinitely more valuable than a non-ABA law school, where you are basically paying for a degree and not a licensed career as an attorney (except in a few states.)
Back to the law school option. Just be aware that if you want to sit for the bar, and you do not live in California, Massachusetts, or a couple of southern states, you will NEED an ABA accredited school. There are ZERO online ABA schools, and you should expect to pay close to 50,000, for a reasonable and non-elite school for the entire three year curriculum. Plan to pay double that if you want a name brand law school. A high price tag and inflexible three year program are mandatory for ABA, and mandatory for your career which begins after the BAR exam. The legal industry can be swayed by your school's reputation when considering your resume. The legal education industry has been both praised and criticized for being inflexible by not allowing JDs from online schools in most states. Additionally, if you do not have an ABA Juris Doctorate, and even if you pass the California exam, you will not be able to practice law in other states. Just be aware of this. In other words, you need ABA, and therefore you need three years of brick and mortar. You'll probably have a lot of debt. Just be careful about online "accreditation" because DETC, etc. don't mean squat on Bar licensing. ABA is all that matters. Also note that JD programs are considered professional degrees and do not have any RA accreditation, no matter which school. Sorry to keep hammering home the point, but its all about ABA accreditation.
In terms of career and salary, I agree that a Juris Doctorate will give you more security by being a licensed attorney. You might have to work in a law firm for years, but eventually the idea of a private practice is appealing. You could have a flexible career. An MBA is much more of a wild card and does not guarantee a professional security, but it is flexible and allows you to branch out into different business related occupations. I'm not sure I agree with the salaries listed in this thread. Of course, most salaries depend on your local job market and the demand for your expertise. A few websites that compare salaries (google them) do not show a huge difference in the salaries between MBA or JD graduates. It seems that 100K is around the norm after a few years, but experience is the key to advancing.
Talk to attorneys and ask them if they like their career. I got some negative feedback which made me hesitant to try law school. I tried it anyway and was glad I did because now I know what I don't want to do. That's just me. Many attorneys enjoy their profession. It's empowering to know the law and have the ability to protect your rights.
If you are thinking about a JD, you might want to try some sample classes or find forums online for feedback. Same with MBA. I am still researching heavily the idea of an MBA. I like that it is faster more cost-effective, accessible online (flexible), with much less emphasis on how much you paid for a household name degree.
To me the biggest appeal of a JD, if that is your passion, is your professional degree and more stability, as long as your area is not overly-saturated with attorneys. Business is a very broad subject with a higher ceiling, if you have the talent. Also, the MBA allows you to figure out which area of business or management you like the most, whereas the J.D. does limit you to attorney work, albeit in a somewhat flexible specialties.
Good luck to you whichever one you choose... with dedication and passion either degree is something to proud of. Don't be discouraged by my bad experience in law school... that is just a subjective preference, and there are plenty of attorneys who enjoy their work. Personally, I like the career goal of starting a business with an unlimited ceiling someday.
Message me if I can help you anymore. I have done a lot of research on both graduate options.
Daniel
75 credits in four months using InstantCert.
B.S. Liberal Arts, Excelsior College, cum laude.
Plus, one Washington Post blurb here.
B.S. Liberal Arts, Excelsior College, cum laude.
Plus, one Washington Post blurb here.
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