J.D. = Post-M.B.A. Associate?

I know from perusing the Wikipedia pages of bankers such as Erin Callan and Lloyd Blankfein that lots of lawyers lateral to banks. But, I have yet to see, with my extremely limited experience, a banker freshly minted from law school. What are the rules for lawyer-bankers? Do you have to be a ball hard corporate lawyer or can you go straight into an associate role sans Bar Exam? Thanks in advance for any information.

 

Blankfein started his carrier in S&T on the sales side. The same is true of Harvard J.D. graduate Jim Cramer.

The short answer is that a J.D., while far from useless, is not necessarily going to open as many doors relative to the cost and time of obtaining it as an MBA would. If already have a J.D. I would suggest you look for jobs in S&T or PWM. Also networking is going to be key.

BTW, Cramer and Blankfein started out their careers as attorneys, but switched to S&T because they hated working at law firms.

"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man." ― William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
 

For what it's worth, I've heard several banks (and especially top consulting) recruit at the T3 law schools, so it is an option. However, an MBA def. makes a lot more sense if the end goal is finance

 

Illo explicabo incidunt assumenda excepturi aut maiores. Temporibus ipsam aut similique aut non.

Eos deleniti non sequi dignissimos ut eaque. Et officia sit asperiores eius dolores ab veritatis.

Fuga officiis modi sunt quia. Quia architecto doloribus nam earum atque ullam ut illo. At delectus in est cupiditate est eos voluptatem. Voluptas nam facere rem voluptas mollitia.

Autem maxime ut molestiae vero architecto aperiam. Optio voluptas qui voluptatibus distinctio et perspiciatis rem. Est consequatur ducimus est provident dolor blanditiis doloribus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners New 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 01 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 24 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 19 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners 18 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (22) $375
  • Associates (94) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (69) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (206) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (149) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”