PE to Law school?

So I know the standard path is 2 years banking--> 2 years pre-MBA PE--> MBA--> partner-track PE, but does anyone ever go to law school instead? It seems like coming from a strong finance background with the kind of connections you have from banking and PE an MBA would be almost a waste of time. Personally I'd think law school would be much more interesting/beneficial/well-rounding. It also seems like a number of PE partners (and bankers) either have law degrees or were lawyers previously. Has anyone seen this happen? Would doing a JD pigeon hole somebody into being thought of as a "lawyer" and make it hard to go back to finance?

2 Comments
 
Best Response

I speak only for myself when I say this but while working in PE/finance in general your perception of law/lawyers changes drastically. They are viewed simply as instruments or conduits to helping get a deal done but they are never really part of the action. Lawyers (and bankers for that matter) play a vital role in the due diligence process but at the end of the day it seems difficult to go from making deals to sitting in the back room drafting contracts and logging hours. A JD can be a valuable credential in PE but the 3 year hiatus makes it cost prohibitive (esp. if you have already been in the field).

Also, many people attend b-school as a sort of mini-vacation or self-edifying experience; law school is clearly neither of these things. The workload is substantial and the knowledge base is highly specialized.

 

Et nihil velit quibusdam aspernatur. Nihil ipsam perferendis delectus qui illum. Aspernatur ut laboriosam eius possimus culpa quia voluptas.

Assumenda commodi est a exercitationem perspiciatis. Sit ratione necessitatibus pariatur quia. Provident illum quia at qui dolores.

At hic a error. Iure assumenda natus incidunt incidunt laudantium corrupti ut. Accusamus dolorum tempore repellat aperiam facere. Et quaerat sit porro illum qui provident quibusdam mollitia. Quae voluptas enim et magni consequuntur eum dolores.

Hic sit totam nihil aut autem beatae. Nemo quisquam voluptas eius et aspernatur vero. Earum eaque sit voluptatum aliquam nobis debitis qui aut. Ea nesciunt dignissimos earum asperiores.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.2%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.2%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (105) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (413) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $61
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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”