I'm a lawyer working in international business and I have a need to deepen my understanding of business and finance in order to increase my expertise and service quality. Would an MBA be a good path to take to accomplish this goal? If so, I assume a general MBA is the best idea (instead of a specialised one). Is that so?

Thanks in advance.

I appreciate you thinking about how further education can support your career goals.

- Career goals: You want to deepen your understanding of business and finance to enhance your expertise as a lawyer working in international business. This is a clear and focused goal, which is great.
- MBA relevance: An MBA could indeed be beneficial for your goals. It would provide a broad foundation in business concepts, financial management, strategy, and other areas relevant to international business. This knowledge could help you better understand your clients' needs and provide more comprehensive legal advice.
- General vs. specialized MBA: For your purposes, a general MBA is likely the better choice. It would give you a well-rounded business education that complements your legal background. A specialized MBA might be too narrow and may not provide the broad business acumen you're seeking.

Alternatives to consider:

- Executive MBA (EMBA): These programs are designed for working professionals and might better fit your schedule.
- Master's in Finance: If your primary focus is on deepening financial knowledge.
- Executive Education courses: Shorter, more targeted programs that could fill specific knowledge gaps.


School selection: If you decide to pursue an MBA, choose a school with:

- Strong international business focus
- Good connections to the legal sector
- Ideally, a curriculum that emphasizes the intersection of law and business


ROI consideration: Ensure the investment in an MBA aligns with your long-term career goals and potential earnings increase.

Before making a decision, I'd recommend:

- Speak with other lawyers who have pursued MBAs to understand how it benefited them.
Consider your long-term career aspirations. Do you want to stay in law or potentially transition to a more business-focused role?
- Evaluate if there are specific skills or knowledge areas you need that an MBA would provide.

An MBA could be a good path to accomplish your goals, but it's important to ensure it's the best use of your time and resources.

Thank you for your immensely valuable input, Stuart! This puts things into perspective. It's a bit overwhelming looking at the world of MBAs from the outside, so I appreciate you going through each point and describing the alternatives.



You make a very good point about speaking with other lawyers who have followed this path. I can get some first-hand information on this, the impact it can have, the ROI, etc. I'll see how I can go about this. I assume online forums like this one can be a good starting point (or possibly Linkedin?).



Seems like an MBA might indeed be a good option for me but there's a lot to consider before making any kind of decision.



Thanks again and have a wonderful week!

[Edited by blasiste on Sep 30, 2024]

This approach might be helpful for you: How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571 (37k+views)

Stuart suggests looking for a "curriculum that emphasizes the intersection of law and business". In the US, a good indicator would be if the university has a joint JD/MBA program. I know CMU, Penn, Stanford, Tulane and Yale are among the many schools with that option. You might not want to take an JD, but it's a hint that there will be some intersection of law and business. I think Stern would also be a good option, because their MBAs have extensive access to the law school's elective courses.

For "Pelican Brief" fans, Tulane has a special importance.

Ha, thanks for the fun fact there at the end.

Much appreciated, Duncan. That's an invaluable resource for improving school search.

Found this in case anyone else is interested in the topic:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-law-school-business-making-case-mba-krati-gautam/