Dear Torianto:

I consulted two lawyers in the field and both said the same thing: Thirty-seven is not too old to begin a legal career. But if you want to get into the highly competitive area of mergers and acquisitions, be sure you go to a top tier law school. Then get top grades so you will be of interest to one of the firms that has significant M&A business. Neither lawyer I spoke to thought that a law firm would think the extra MBA degree made much of a difference. However, the following are needed: good problem solving skills, the ability to speak and write well in English, and the willingness to work very long hours.

It seems that many people who get the joint JD/MBA degree want to go into the business side of M&A at investment banks -- where the hours seem to be as grueling as they are in law firms.

As usual, the key is to ask the placement center at any school you are thinking of going to about the kinds of jobs their graduates get. It is perfectly reasonable to find out how many of their students find the kind of work in the kinds of firms that interest you.

The Career Doctor