Master in Management – Grande Ecole (MiM) Law Double Degree: Training hybrid profiles at the heart of business challenges
Valentine Poirier, Alexandre Dubourdieu
Master in Management – Grande Ecole (MiM)
As economic and legal environments grow increasingly complex, companies and law firms are now seeking profiles capable of understanding strategic, financial, and regulatory challenges simultaneously. Meeting these expectations requires a demanding, cross-disciplinary education firmly rooted in organizational realities.
It is with this ambition in mind that emlyon business school designed the Master in Management – Grande Ecole (MiM) Law Double Degree. This selective track enables students from preparatory classes to develop dual expertise in management and law, paving the way for high–value-added careers in consulting, business law, legal departments, and compliance.
To illustrate the distinctive nature of this program, Valentine Poirier, a MiM student enrolled in the double degree in Law and admitted after preparatory classes at Lycée Chateaubriand, and Alexandre Dubourdieu, valedictorian of the double degree and admitted after preparatory classes at Lycée Sainte-Geneviève, offer a dual perspective on a program that is both demanding and highly formative.
Rethinking the training of lawyers and managers
At emlyon business school, management education is built on a strong conviction: a business cannot be understood through a single lens. Strategy, finance, audit, and marketing all operate within a precise regulatory framework - one in which law plays a foundational role.
For Valentine, now a second-year Master’s student in the Master in Management – Grande Ecole program, this complementarity became clear early on:
“Law had interested me for a long time. After discovering finance, strategy, and audit at emlyon, I felt the need to explore these fields from a different, more technical and analytical perspective.”
Alexandre shares this view, with a particular sensitivity to legal reasoning:
“I was immediately drawn to the rigor and structure of legal reasoning. It echoes the logic of mathematical demonstrations that I enjoyed so much during my preparatory classes.”
The Law Double Degree thus responds to a clear ambition: to train profiles able to engage in meaningful dialogue with executives, in-house lawyers, and attorneys, speaking a shared language grounded in the reality of business.
A progressive pathway designed to secure career trajectories
The Law Double Degree is fully embedded within the MiM program. It is accessible through a selective process for students entering from preparatory classes, following completion of the Pre-Master year. Its step-by-step structure allows students to test their interest in law without calling their initial management track into question.
A legal foundations program integrated at emlyon
The double degree begins in the second semester of the second year of the MiM program (Master 1). After an initial phase of core management courses, students follow an intensive legal foundations program from March to June, delivered directly at emlyon.
Taught by faculty members from Université Lumière Lyon 2 as well as legal practitioners, these courses cover the fundamentals of private law (contract law, civil liability) as well as legal methodology (case analysis, legal essays, and legal reasoning).
Valentine highlights the academic support provided:
“The transition is very smooth. Professors adapt their teaching methods to students coming from business schools, which makes it possible to absorb legal fundamentals gradually and confidently.”
Alexandre emphasizes the level of rigor required:
“The academic standard during the foundations program is high - sometimes even higher than what we encounter later in law school. This level of rigor is a real asset for what follows. The goal is clearly achievable for any student who is genuinely committed.”
He adds:
“This phase is essential: it builds methodology, rigor, and the intellectual stamina required for the rest of the program.”
Progression to the next stage is subject to successful completion of this foundations program, ensuring a solid academic base for all students.
Immersion in Law School: Autonomy and skill development
After completing the foundations program, students enter the third year of the Bachelor’s degree in Private Law at Université Lumière Lyon 2, in full immersion alongside students following a traditional law curriculum. Courses include core subjects such as corporate law, civil procedure, and common law.
This transition marks a significant change in learning environment. Valentine explains:
“For many students coming from preparatory classes, this is their first real experience at university. There is more freedom, which requires genuine autonomy and strong personal discipline.”
She adds: “Even though the foundations program covers the essentials, some areas require further individual exploration. Overall, however, integration into law school feels very natural.”
Alexandre reflects on the acquisition of legal reasoning skills:
“I learned to think like a lawyer - to master legal syllogism, case analysis, case‑law commentary, and to analyze sometimes highly complex decisions of the French Supreme Court.”
He continues:
“This training also taught me to accept a degree of intellectual uncertainty, to make interpretative choices, and to develop my autonomy.”
At the same time, students retain the option to take selected elective courses at emlyon, maintaining strong ties to management and reinforcing the hybrid nature of the curriculum.
A true synergy between Law and Management
One of the program’s key strengths lies in the cross-disciplinary skills it develops. Rather than compartmentalizing knowledge, the Law Double Degree encourages students to connect perspectives and mobilize diverse competencies.
Valentine provides a concrete example:
“In corporate law or tax law, having a solid grounding in accounting, finance, and strategy allows for a much broader understanding of legal issues. Where law may seem abstract, I can immediately see its application in business.”
Alexandre shares this conviction:
“You cannot fully understand the law without grasping the economic realities it regulates. Bringing economic analysis into a case‑law commentary, for instance, highlights the concrete consequences of a court’s decision.”
He sums up this approach as follows: “As a business lawyer, it’s not just about applying rules—it’s about mobilizing the law in service of corporate strategy.”
This ability to connect legal standards with operational challenges represents a major professional asset, particularly in consulting and business law careers.
Distinctive career opportunities
At the end of the Bachelor’s degree, multiple pathways are available: direct entry into Master’s programs in law, notably through emlyon’s partnerships with leading universities (Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, Université Lumière Lyon 2, and the Institute of Business Law at Aix‑Marseille), or applications through standard national admission channels.
Both students highlight the rarity and attractiveness of this hybrid track.
“Law firms particularly value profiles that combine preparatory classes, business school, and legal education. These profiles are still relatively rare,” explains Alexandre.
He also points to the importance of the alumni network: “The double degree gives access to a highly structured alumni community active across many areas of business law. It is a key lever for building one’s professional path.”
Valentine emphasizes the client relationship dimension:
“Understanding a manager’s language - their financial and operational constraints - makes you far more relevant in advisory work. You don’t just identify legal risk; you propose solutions aligned with strategy.”
Both students are now preparing for the French Bar Exam (CRFPA) and envision demanding careers in business law, while remaining open to diverse professional trajectories. Valentine is currently targeting advanced Master’s programs in business law, with the goal of strengthening her theoretical foundation before sitting the CRFPA. Alexandre, for his part, aspires to an international business law career, shaped by his academic background and strong Franco‑German focus. Alongside the double degree, he is enrolled in a German Law University Diploma, taught in German at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, further enhancing the European scope of his professional project.
A demanding program, a transformative experience
The Law Double Degree requires strong personal commitment, rigorous organization, and a high level of autonomy. Yet it is precisely this level of challenge that makes the experience so rewarding.
Valentine’s advice is unequivocal:
“The most important thing is to ask yourself why you are choosing this path. If the double degree makes sense for you, then the required organization and autonomy won’t be an obstacle.”
Alexandre sums up this dual skillset in one word:
Synergy - a comprehensive understanding of the company, both strategic and legal.