When a law degree is not enough: the necessity of a second professional degree for lawyers

This research attempts to answer the question of why some attorneys obtain a second advanced degree after their law degree. That is, if a law degree is all that is needed to practice law, then why do some attorneys continue with their studies, especially since they lack an economic incentive to do so?

The research includes a literature review with background information on credentialism and human capital theory, on lawyers and law school, dissatisfaction, income and debt, alternatives to law, joint graduate degree programs, and gender. SPSS modeling is utilized to arrive at the conclusion that human capital theory and satisfaction account for lawyers' attainment of additional degrees.