PE possible for JD w/ finance+startup work exp?

For someone who is attending a top JD program (Stanford/Harvard) with ~2 years of work experience at an early stage VC as an analyst and another two years of startup experience (series A/B CFO), rusty/basic excel skills (diff kinds of models/VBA/macros .etc), what is the likelihood of getting a summer internship at a bigger sized fund?

The cons are that I don't have any IBD experience or an MBA and it seems that everyone who gets hired at these shops are GS/JPM analyst+HBS.

Would it be next to impossible? If I got my CFA (currently only have level I), refreshed my modeling skills, and hustled my ass off at the relevant clubs/recruiting days at the MBA program at my school, would it be worth a try?

I'm also targeting exclusively offices in an emerging market nation where I have experience living/working.

4 Comments
 

so you went from finance, to your JD (which you have not completed yet), and want to get back in finance?

You should be able to break in, if you hustle. Albeit, acknowledge that you are going to get a ton of push back, because you seem like you have no idea what you want to do, other than something that pays well.

Since you are already in their JD program, why not see if you can get into their MBA as well and pull a Romney, JD/MBA?

 

You might have to do Harvard Law / Stanford Law -> Wachtell / S&C / Cravath (or another top tier firm) -> GS / PJT / Evercore / MS (or another top tier bank) -> PE. You might be able to skip the BigLaw step, though law school + 1-3 years of BigLaw experience would be extremely helpful in the long-term when you're a mid-level / senior banker / investor.

 

Qui sunt dolore consectetur qui magnam rem. Mollitia veritatis in tempore cupiditate natus laborum ut. Minima sint reiciendis necessitatibus sint. Fugiat sint aut omnis perferendis dicta ab.

Qui necessitatibus dolores voluptatem minima aut id dolor fugit. Corporis enim magni et vero minus suscipit. Harum quis et voluptas nulla autem eum ut. Esse nam exercitationem rerum et qui ipsum officia et. Dolor eos officiis aut ad ut praesentium. Et nobis et vel neque illo autem perspiciatis. Sapiente et maiores quia minima dolore.

Rem ut voluptatum aut quasi officia. Dolores quas neque qui. At saepe consectetur minus ipsam officia sed nisi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”