Cross-posted from the Financial Post

When I was an undergrad, Western law had the reputation for being the “business” law school. Indeed, Western makes an effort to distinguish itself through this brand; in fact, one of the criticisms levied against the school is that it is too focused on business law and not enough on other concentrations, like family and criminal law. I don’t mind. It is the corporate law brand that I’m interested in.

It was never clear to me exactly how Western law got its reputation, until a friend of mine pointed out to me that Western itself, had always been known as the “business” university, thanks to Ivey. Rankings notwithstanding, Western has always been home to the oldest business school in the country. Ivey places great emphasis on alumni relations, who spread the reputation through their words and deeds, and the business reputation continues. As far back as anyone can remember it has always had a great reputation. The entire university benefits from that brand, including the law school.

In this blog, I have often sung the praises of Ivey, without giving the faculty of law its due. I chose Western based on a number of factors, including its reputation, and I haven’t questioned my decision since. Midway through my degree, I am still in awe of many Western’s law students whether they are in the joint program or not. They are more than just smart: Western law students are smart in a way that’s useful.

Just the same, I confess that I feel a special connection when I meet joint-degree students, whether HBA/JD or JD/MBA. I think that every joint student here does. In fact, it’s the same feeling I get when I meet someone who graduated from McGill (my undergraduate alma mater). It’s the feeling of sameness, that feeling of association. Anyone who has ever been involved in the Greek system of fraternities and sororities probably knows what I’m talking about. If you’ve ever traveled to another country and randomly met someone from your hometown, you probably know what I’m talking about too.

A handful of students have just received offers of admission into the JD/MBA program. The way the program is designed, they apply before or during first year, and begin the program the following spring after their law school final exams are done. The new class starts business school this May, just as I started last May. Knowing what I now know about the program, I am very excited for them all. I am also excited for the long-term future of the program. The more time I spent in the program, the stronger the bond I felt to the program’s brand, and the more important it became to me that next year’s class succeed.

Today I received an email from one of the new students in the class, who wants to organize a clothing sale for the group. Last summer I organized one, so when I read the e-mail I smiled. The surest sign that any academic or social group will succeed is when the next generation wants to become actively involved.

Growing up, my father always told me: you’re only as good as your next sale. In other words, always try to do better. If you didn’t do great last time, you’ll get better; if you did great last time, there is no reason to be arrogant and become complacent. Western law wasn’t complacent: it matured its business law brand by recruiting the top business law academics in the country. Ivey matured its MBA brand by restructuring the program to stay competitive in a world that emphasizes a one-year degree. The three-year JD/MBA brand at Western/Ivey is still very young, so it’s hard to see how exactly it will mature; but if every generation going forward brings in students who want to get involved, then I can only foresee success for my program and my brand.