Flora Morgan, JD/MBA 24, knew for a long time that she wanted to go to law school, but an MBA wasn’t even on her radar. She was surprised as anyone to find herself in a dual degree J.D./MBA program at the Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley. But she’d be the first to tell you that this unexpected path has paid off in spades.
Originally from the East Coast, when searching for a law school, Flora’s eyes turned toward the West Coast and, specifically, the Bay Area. While she had other options in the area, she felt a strong pull to Berkeley. She says, “to me the heart and soul of the school is really social justice. Not only is it a great educational institution, but the pillars and values of the place are really people-centered.”
When looking for a graduate school, Flora really wanted this type of values and people-centered school where she could not only grow professionally and intellectually, but also grow as a person. She found the right fit at Berkeley.
From Law School to Business School: A Leap of Faith
After beginning her J.D. program, it would still be quite a while before she began the dual degree MBA program. In fact, Flora had already been in law school for two years before she even considered the dual degree and then ended up applying right at the cutoff date, “at literally the last moment.”
The decision wasn’t easy. An extra year of school meant more time without income, and additional loans. But what ultimately compelled her to take the plunge was the people. Specifically, her interactions with student leadership at Haas.
“I was really drawn to how everyone I met was not only someone I wanted to be around on a personal level, but was someone who would ask me what my interests were, wanted to help me make connections with others who were also interested in those things, and wanted to get to know me on a deeper level.”
But her connection with these leaders wasn’t just personal. She began to be intrigued by their approach to professional problem solving. “I felt like they all had a really refreshing approach to problem solving in their careers, where they started from outside the box instead of the inside.” While law school teaches you how to “color in the lines,” Flora found this creative approach to problem solving both compelling and refreshing.
While lawyers use precedent to solve problems and make decisions, she felt she could be more well-rounded in her professional career if she combined that legal way of thinking with a more forward-way of thinking that was taught in the MBA program.
She says, “I felt drawn to the energy that I was sensing from these folks in Haas.” In fact Flora says it’s difficult to fully articulate exactly what she was even looking for, she just had “an intuitive sense that I needed to be steeped in that environment.” She admitted that applying for the program based on intuition was a big leap of faith when it came to some of the logistics of time and loans. But she couldn’t shake the feeling this was the right path for her.
Learning to Lead, Not Just Litigate
So Flora decided to officially take a leap of faith and become a dual-degree student.
The result?
An experience that exceeded her expectations. “I can sit here today with no regrets at all and say it has given me a completely different perspective on problem solving and a much more informed approach to management.”
Between the set curriculum, interactions with peers, entrepreneurial opportunities, and watching classmates find innovative solutions to problems, Flora was able to gather a powerful leadership tool box that, when combined with her legal tool box, has given her a transformative competitive edge in her workplace.
Now an associate at a litigation boutique, Flora says this experience makes her a much more capable and nimble lawyer than she would have been if she hadn’t pursued a UC Berkeley Haas MBA. And not just by a little bit, Flora emphasized, “a lot more.”
Learning to Think Outside the Box
“There’s a tendency in the law to follow what’s been done before,” says Flora. “So you might be in a room where people are bringing in innovative ideas, but most of those ideas are within the box. Within the four corners of the universe we usually play in. I think where I bring something different is that I start from a different vantage point and see things from a different perspective.”
One of the ways Flora learned to see things from a different perspective was being surrounded by such a diverse group of people within the Haas program itself. “There were so many things that my peers brought into conversations that really added to the positive group dynamic. Getting those “reps” in at business school where you’re working with a really diverse team of people who have completely different skill sets and perspectives is a life skill that makes you an asset to any company…and Haas is the most diverse intellectual experience I’ve ever had.”
By starting from outside the box and being comfortable conversing with diverse groups of people, she is able to problem solve and project manage in effective ways that differ from the way lawyers are trained to think–thus serving as a powerful asset for her firm, clients, and colleagues. Crediting both the firm she is working at and the leadership skills she honed at Haas, she’s been able to approach senior leadership with various ideas and innovative solutions.
Something else that was particularly helpful from Haas was getting a better understanding of how technology is transforming the entire landscape of how people do their work–including lawyers. She sees this as one more key asset that she brings to the table and provides an additional competitive advantage.
Haas: The Edge She Didn’t Know She Needed
Looking back, Flora has zero regrets about adding another year to her graduate education, even though her ambition was always a law career, not business.
“I feel really strongly about the decision I made. If you’re someone whose ambition is to lead a group of people–whatever that looks like–business school is the best sandbox to figure that out and figure out what your leadership style is.”
When asked if it was fair to describe the dual program as a sort of “career accelerator” Flora said yes and added, “It gives you an edge. And I’ve certainly seen that play out in terms of compensation and opportunities I’ve been given at my firm. I don’t feel like a first year. And so much of that comes from the personal development and leadership training you receive in business school.”
Her enthusiasm for the program runs so deep that she’s already helped guide two other students through the application process, both of whom are now in the program themselves.
Flora’s bottom line? “This experience really catapults you to another level.”
Want a boost in your own career pathway? Check out Berkeley’s dual degree programs and see if there’s one that’s the right fit for you!
