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Mitt Romney has a JD/MBA. Should You?

By Deanne Katz, Esq. on July 11, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Mitt Romney has something that neither of the two most recent presidents can lay claim to. It's not the thick hair or the smiling family; it's the pedigree. Mitt Romney is one of the small group of individuals that hold a JD/MBA from Harvard University.

But the real question here becomes: Is anyone jealous?

Harvard's JD/MBA program does have an impressive list of graduates and only about a dozen people complete the program every year according to The New York Times. Certainly it's hard to get into and it requires a high level of dedication. But JD/MBA programs also have a dirty little secret.

Most JD/MBA graduates end up doing just one or the other - . While lawyers often work for business people and business people need lawyers, the skills needed for one don't necessarily translate to the other.

The original draws of these programs were the time and money you could save doing a joint program rather than two separate programs. But to fit five years of education into four years means that something has to give and most likely that something is depth of study.

Whether or not the program is a worthwhile investment, the real bottom line is that if you get a JD/MBA, you probably won't end up practicing law.

Graduates of the Harvard JD/MBA program overwhelmingly choose a career in business reports JD Journal. That doesn't necessarily mean other programs are the same but it seems likely given the qualities gained in a joint program.

Business offers much bigger investment returns with potentially higher salaries. It is also considered to be a better quality of life business than law which requires long hours of research and writing.

Mitt Romney may have earned his JD, but he never practiced law. Take that, Mitt!

For what it's worth, you're more likely to be president as a lawyer than a businessman based on statistics. Out of 44 presidents, 25 have been lawyers, although not all earned a law degree.

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