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I wanted to gauge an unscientific poll. Let's say you graduated law school and graduated at the top of your class and you pass the bar exam at the top scorers. Let's say you had a big bankroll to support you for the rest of your life, and you still yearn to practice law regardless how much dinero you had.
I will start. I will say country lawyer for myself where I don't have the stress of living in the city and serve the same clients in a small town. Go ahead and post your opinion. There are no right or wrong answers.
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This might be an indirect answer to your question but here goes. For me it's less about the size of the city and more about accessibility to the community. Whether I end up in Big Law, In-House, non-profit, or a small private practice, I don't want to feel like I'm up in my ivory tower living my lawyer life doing lawyer things with all my lawyer friends. I just want to be a member of my community who happens to be a lawyer.
I think feeling part of a community is easier to do in small to mid-size cities like Cleveland, Philly, St. Louis. Definitely not impossible in cities like NYC or Chicago, just... requires intention. I've got my eyes on schools in both types of cities so I guess we'll see where life takes me.
Anyone else tempted to say small town lawyer, but purely because of shows like Sweet Magnolias? asking for a friend... ;)
Small town to mid-sized city for me. I know being a Lawyer is going to require a large time commitment each week (not an easy 30-40hr week) so the last thing I want to do is spend more time in a car/train/bus getting home :)
I think I'd like to wind up working in a resurgent Detroit amd would settle for Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing, Kalamazoo, or Grand Rapids. I would be willing and perhaps eager to be in a bigger city like New York for a couple years first to see if I liked it though.
I wouldn't mind either situation as long as the work is interesting enough. I'm Canadian and having been half-frozen my entire adult life, i'd prefer somewhere warmer if I had the choice.
@71888 said:
Big city, for sure.
Been in NYC my whole life and plan on being here for my career.
Loyalty runs thick in us New Yorkers
City life for me. Though I’m not into certain cities. I need some open space. NYC is a bit claustrophobic for me. I have a love-hate relationship with LA haha. But I love the diversity and range of experiences available in city life. I love being able to catch a (touring) Broadway musical or go to a huge museum, or catch a little band at a hole in the wall bar. I love having a wide variety of ethnic food to choose from and people who come from different backgrounds than I do. I love the community that can be found in a big city.
BigLaw life is not for me, but I love that in a city you have pretty much any option available. Granted, it gets harder making a small salary in an expensive place. But you find a way to make it work. Some cities are more affordable than others. And probably eventually, I’ll end up planting roots in a mid size city too.
I think I'd like to start in the big city (Houston or Dallas) and then maybe down the road move down to a mid-size firm or GC for a company. I can't deny the opportunities afforded by starting off in big law, but moving down a bit, where starting a family is much more plausible, is probably where I'm headed.
Big city, for sure.
Been in NYC my whole life and plan on being here for my career.
I agree with the others: mid sized would be preferable. A college town or maybe a town an hour or two away from a big city.
Trust me. You don't want rural country living. Everybody wants to "live in the country" until they realize there's no money, there's no amenities, there's no anonymity (everyone knows everyone), and the internet connection is horrendous. LoL
Thank you everyone feedback. I am glad to see people telling about their dreams and what is most important to them. It is awesome. :smiley:
@xadrianas6x881 I'm in the exact same situation and the same age so I totally understand.
I'd like to start off in a big city but possibly move to a mid-sized city in the future (maybe if I start a family or if I go in-house or something).
I grew up in a small suburb and went to a relatively big city for college. I'm back home in the suburbs right now while studying for this test and I'd forgotten how dull it could get -- more so now as a twenty-something year old.
I voted big city, but I agree with @xadrianas6x881 that a mid-sized firm in a mid-sized city is the ideal outcome.
You'll still most likely make a salary high enough to pay down the student loans, but you'd do so without the intense 80 hour work weeks of BigLaw in a major legal market. And you can live outside of city limits (eg. own property in a rural suburb—one of my life dreams), while still getting the interesting variety of legal work that only a sizeable city can provide.
Some of us would like the big city money and the small town lifestyle. Highly unlikely though :/
Big city for sure! My dream is to practice law in Washington DC.
Saul Goodman or Harvey Specter. Whichever comes first.
Option C - Mid-sized city (think St Louis, Louisville sized cities) PI or small firm lawyer.