Thoughts on applying legal training in a business context

  • It is important to understand the difference between analysis (what law schools train most for) and judgment (being able to choose a strategy, make a good business decision under time pressure – what business schools train most for). It is critical, for a successful career in business, to be able to do BOTH. Often lawyers are caricatured for falling prey to “analysis-paralysis,” not knowing where to draw the line and make tough decisions. You can avoid contributing to the stereotype by being highly aware of this common lawyer-tendency, and by honing and using your own quick-judgment skills.
  • Sometimes the aspects of law school which seemed least directly related to business at the time will end up being the most valuable or informative, in the long run (especially for providing you with a different set of perspectives than the typical business-person). So while you are in law school, learn and do what you love most and find most interesting, throw yourself wholeheartedly into every experience that you pursue, and over the long run you will find a way to make it all come together.
  • Two particularly strong sources of value from having a J.D., in business:
    • “The way of thinking” – Being able to take a large problem and break it into the most important constituent pieces; being able to anticipate what the other side might be thinking; and being able to use intelligent questions to surface the most important issues at hand. (Not unique to law school, of course, but certainly honed and practiced in a law school context)
    • Managing and communicating with lawyers – Pretty much every major project or deal team whether in business or politics will have at least some lawyers on it. With a JD, you will at least be familiar with legal concepts and will be able to follow the conversation when lawyers talk, and often other lawyers will gravitate toward / enjoy working with a fellow JD.
  • If you spend time at law school doing litigation or other advocacy work, that can pay off very well in a business career, especially if you ultimately end up in a marketing, public relations, or communications role (and arguably, any top management job is a type of “communications role”). At the heart of litigating is taking a mess of facts, pulling out the most compelling, strongest story, and presenting and defending that story with intelligence, coherence, passion, and persistence. In the words of one interviewee, “Mustering facts into strong narratives to achieve impact” is a critical skill in almost any business context – not just in the courtroom.