U Penn LAW has a certification in management from Wharton -- good for IB?

Hi everyone.

I am planning on going to law school. I'd like to work in BigLaw, but I want to always keep my options open. Based on the feedback I have gotten elsewhere, I am looking at U Penn Law.

I have two questions.

  1. What is the reputation of U Penn Law amongst Investment Bankers? In law circles, it has a pretty solid reputation, but I'm not sure outside of law.

  2. U Penn law offers a Certification in Management from Wharton. If you are in the law school, you take four courses at Wharton to get it.

Will this certification, plus the reputation of U Penn Law, open up doors to IB or finance, if I should want to down that road in the future?

I know that many people leave BigLaw after a few years. Would this certification help lateral to a job in IB?

Again, I'd like to work in BigLaw after law school, so this is not another question of "Law school to get into IB?" Rather, I would like to know what my options are, and what doors U Penn law might open.

Thank you all so much.

9 Comments
 

The name Wharton on your resume is probably better than nothing, but the certificate isn't a big deal and won't open any doors by itself. Your biglaw experience will play a bigger role in transitioning into a certain banking roles as will the name of your law school.

That said, the transition is by no means easy to do (prepping for banking interviews during big law + limited # of roles really value legal experience + taking a seniority + minor pay cut). If you think you're interested in finance, you're probably better off making the decision now and pursuing an MBA or JD accordingly (or recruiting for IB after 1L/2L).

 

Current Penn Law student here. The Wharton certificate is basically a way to get the Wharton name on your resume. It's more of an introduction for law students, who were typically liberal arts majors in undergrad, to get a passing understanding of business topics. Not to say it isn't useful. But it's not going to be your gateway to a BB.

JD/MBAs do very well though. Feel free to PM if you have any other questions

 

Hey thank you so much for that info. I know they have one other certificate, Business Economics.

Are you a JD/MBA? I'm only interested in JD. I'm really interested in going to law school, and then going into BigLaw. I hear that U Penn law is a great school. How competitive is it?

I'm really looking at NYU and U Penn. NYU is more splitter friendly. I'd take U Penn over NYU, however, because of the lower cost of living (all else equal). I hear only good things about U Penn Law, but have read mixed reviews regarding the competitiveness.

Of course, both are really a stretch for me! Thank you again

 

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