Best Quality of Life Legal Markets

[whitman]

Where are they? I'm talking good firm cultures with work/life balance. Lower pay is fine. I'd rather have $110 in Denver than $160 in NYC any day.

Please discuss. Also, I put this in "Choosing a Law School" because law schools are regional, and it makes sense to figure out your desired post-school region and then pick a school, rather than the other way around.

[rebexness]

[dr123]

There's the North West and the Mountain West and then there's everything else

[D-ROCCA]

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

[lolschool2011]

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

Not true, I think everyone would agree Cleveland is an epic town to live in/practice law:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY

[whitman]

Where are they? I'm talking good firm cultures with work/life balance. Lower pay is fine. I'd rather have $110 in Denver than $160 in NYC any day.

Please discuss. Also, I put this in "Choosing a Law School" because law schools are regional, and it makes sense to figure out your desired post-school region and then pick a school, rather than the other way around.

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

I think it's fairly well known that certain markets, like NYC and DC, pretty much require associates to produce absurd billable hours. Maybe that is or isn't true for a place like Nashville or Minneapolis or Denver. This is what I'm asking. Not, "What city is objectively the best place to live?"

[Curry]

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

Not true, I think everyone would agree Cleveland is an epic town to live in/practice law:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY

Lebron James disagrees.

[Hey-O]

Where are they? I'm talking good firm cultures with work/life balance. Lower pay is fine. I'd rather have $110 in Denver than $160 in NYC any day.

Please discuss. Also, I put this in "Choosing a Law School" because law schools are regional, and it makes sense to figure out your desired post-school region and then pick a school, rather than the other way around.

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

I think it's fairly well known that certain markets, like NYC and DC, pretty much require associates to produce absurd billable hours. Maybe that is or isn't true for a place like Nashville or Minneapolis or Denver. This is what I'm asking. Not, "What city is objectively the best place to live?"

I think you should have asked the question "What city is objectively the best place to live?" It would make for a lively debate.

[BruceWayne]

Where are they? I'm talking good firm cultures with work/life balance. Lower pay is fine. I'd rather have $110 in Denver than $160 in NYC any day.

Please discuss. Also, I put this in "Choosing a Law School" because law schools are regional, and it makes sense to figure out your desired post-school region and then pick a school, rather than the other way around.

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

I think it's fairly well known that certain markets, like NYC and DC, pretty much require associates to produce absurd billable hours. Maybe that is or isn't true for a place like Nashville or Minneapolis or Denver. This is what I'm asking. Not, "What city is objectively the best place to live?"

Atlanta fits the bill. The trouble is getting a SA position and then not getting No-- offered. I believe the Texas cities are similar.

[whitman]

Where are they? I'm talking good firm cultures with work/life balance. Lower pay is fine. I'd rather have $110 in Denver than $160 in NYC any day.

Please discuss. Also, I put this in "Choosing a Law School" because law schools are regional, and it makes sense to figure out your desired post-school region and then pick a school, rather than the other way around.

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

I think it's fairly well known that certain markets, like NYC and DC, pretty much require associates to produce absurd billable hours. Maybe that is or isn't true for a place like Nashville or Minneapolis or Denver. This is what I'm asking. Not, "What city is objectively the best place to live?"

I think you should have asked the question "What city is objectively the best place to live?" It would make for a lively debate.

Good thing we already settled that.

We'd all like to flee to the Cleve.

--LinkRemoved--

[helloperson]

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

Not true, I think everyone would agree Cleveland is an epic town to live in/practice law:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU0JpyH1gC8

[rman1201]

I hear Detroit is nice this time of year

[justadude55]

That's right - pay is all relative. Raw #'s might sound sexy to the ladies, but at the end of the day taxes and cost of living can make 80K in Idaho far superior to 150K in NYC.

The one thing is that down the line when your eventually born kids go to college, raw numbers start to mean a lot more.

[CanadianWolf]

Personal preference question. Denver, Seattle, Portland (both Oregon & Maine), Atlanta, Minneapolis, Chicago, Salt Lake City & Charlotte are a few nice places to live in my opinion. Southern California air quality is a negative. NYC is either a love it or hate it destination. Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto & Ottawa if planning to practice in Canada.

[imbored25]

Seattle

[Veyron]

Mountain West has the highest rate of pay besides Texas after COL adjustments, reasonable hours, and a very close knit and friendly legal community.

[dr123]

Mountain West has the highest rate of pay besides Texas after COL adjustments, reasonable hours, and a very close knit and friendly legal community.

Very credited some of the attnys I work with will leave the office before 5 on some days

[Alex-Trof]

It's going to be pretty difficult to get good advice on the cities that you would like to live in based on other people's opinions.

Not true, I think everyone would agree Cleveland is an epic town to live in/practice law:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY

Not everyone. I vote for Detroit. Unfortunately, very tough market to break into. Mercy and Cooley grads have that place cornered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6WKMNmF ... ature=fvwp

[rman1201]

Those new GM commercials actually make Detroit look... 'cool'... rather than the post-apocalyptic grounds it seems to have become.

On that note - anyone know of any good Detroit area schools specializing in Automobile Law?

[TheOcho]

Minneapolis rates well, although it does get real cold.

[deadpoetnsp]

Minneapolis rates well, although it does get real cold.

I second Minneapolis-St. Paul too. It is a very good place to get a city feel without the city pressure.

[lostinspace]

you really must read this:

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/arti ... al_markets

[cornellbeez]

All of this depends on what firm you are looking at. (Associates at GDC in Denver still compete for work.) In general, markets in the South probably have the lowest billables. A problem is having ties. You must have ties for the South.