What would you do? Career move. Forum

[Anonymous User]

I hope it's okay that I'm posting anonymously:

I'm writing to ask how you guys would handle this situation. I'm currently at a HYSCCN, but I'm from a small town in the upper South. The closest large legal markets are Texas (Houston/Dallas) and Chicago, but my ultimate goal is to go back to my hometown and run for a modest political office (state rep, state senator, maybe school board, etc). Moreover, where I'm from is quite rural, and if law school has taught me anything it's that I don't really like living in cities even a little bit. So here's the question: if LRAP will cover what I do while pursuing my goal, would you guys recommend doing biglaw for any particular reason? I could see how having the money would be nice, but I feel like after a 3 year absence from my area, it might behoove me more to move back right after law school and get back into the flow of the community and such. I guess I'm asking how you guys would think this sort of goal would be most wisely pursued.

Thanks, I appreciate the input.

[Lomax]

The problem here is that you don't yet know what kind of opportunities you have to choose between. We know that your ultimate goal is political office in your hometown, but you obviously cannot go straight to that right out of law school. I suppose that, for the purposes of this discussion, we can assume that a biglaw job in a big city will be another option for you. So that's one option. As for the other employment option, should you return home straight after school - that's an unknown.

A biglaw job in a big city will presumably help you develop your practical legal skills, earn money, and build your resume. You might even do some high-level networking at a regional level once you move along, if you're lucky enough. Then at some point, you can make your move back to your hometown having benefited from your experience, in good shape financially. However, biglaw doesn't seem to be what you want to do; you'll be slogging away in a big city for who knows how long.

Really, you already seem to be leaning quite far towards moving back home right out of school. That's probably what you should do, assuming that you find decent employment on which you can build upon. You'll be able to start building a rapport with the members of your community, something you will have to do sooner or later in order to achieve your goal. You won't make much money, presumably, but that doesn't seem to be what you're after, and we're assuming that LRAP will take care of your debt. Finally, you should be happier living and working back home, unless biglaw work is actually more your thing - that would complicate matters, admittedly.

[dextermorgan]

What is the upper south?

[Lomax]

What is the upper south?

OP is probably hiding his identity because he's from Arkansas or Missouri.

[Titus]

Upper South is likely around Arkansas or Missouri for this discussion. If OP was near Virginia, the DC metro area would likely be mentioned as nearby in his original post. If OP was from the Carolinas, he likely would have put Atlanta nearby. While Utah and Colorado and some other states may technically be in the Southern US, they aren't usually considered "the South" but the "west". Nowhere else is really the "upper south".

That being said, finding legal employment in rural areas like these is likely to be difficult. Rural areas just don't have the same economic base. I would recommend finding something in Texas, St. Louis or Chicago and then coming back debt free. Once you're debt free, then the salary concerns would not be as bad. Plus, if you're in St. Louis, that will let you plug into your state's legislature hopefully. Living in the suburbs might keep you away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

Oh and there's nothing wrong with being from Arkansas. I am.

[Lomax]

Upper South is likely around Arkansas or Missouri for this discussion. If OP was near Virginia, the DC metro area would likely be mentioned as nearby in his original post. If OP was from the Carolinas, he likely would have put Atlanta nearby. While Utah and Colorado and some other states may technically be in the Southern US, they aren't usually considered "the South" but the "west". Nowhere else is really the "upper south".

That being said, finding legal employment in rural areas like these is likely to be difficult. Rural areas just don't have the same economic base. I would recommend finding something in Texas, St. Louis or Chicago and then coming back debt free. Once you're debt free, then the salary concerns would not be as bad. Plus, if you're in St. Louis, that will let you plug into your state's legislature hopefully. Living in the suburbs might keep you away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

Well enough put, except that for the purposes of this discussion, as per OP's stipulation, we seem to have to assume that LRAP will save him from debt problems should he choose to go straight to the countryside, even if there aren't likely to be high-paying jobs there. And given that your primary argument for OP opting for biglaw/the city happens to be debt relief...

Oh and there's nothing wrong with being from Arkansas.

Agreed.

[Kohinoor]

ITT: TLS vigilantly works to out the OP

[Lomax]

ITT: TLS vigilantly works to out the OP

Congrats on 6000.

[Anonymous User]

Upper South is likely around Arkansas or Missouri for this discussion. If OP was near Virginia, the DC metro area would likely be mentioned as nearby in his original post. If OP was from the Carolinas, he likely would have put Atlanta nearby. While Utah and Colorado and some other states may technically be in the Southern US, they aren't usually considered "the South" but the "west". Nowhere else is really the "upper south".

That being said, finding legal employment in rural areas like these is likely to be difficult. Rural areas just don't have the same economic base. I would recommend finding something in Texas, St. Louis or Chicago and then coming back debt free. Once you're debt free, then the salary concerns would not be as bad. Plus, if you're in St. Louis, that will let you plug into your state's legislature hopefully. Living in the suburbs might keep you away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

Well enough put, except that for the purposes of this discussion, as per OP's stipulation, we seem to have to assume that LRAP will save him from debt problems should he choose to go straight to the countryside, even if there aren't likely to be high-paying jobs there. And given that your primary argument for OP opting for biglaw/the city happens to be debt relief...

Oh and there's nothing wrong with being from Arkansas.

Agreed.

I did assume that LRAP would save the OP but to truly be in rural Arkansas or Missouri, those areas are not likely to have public interest work that would qualify due to the smaller population. A smaller population means less public interest work available for the most part. He or She would likely be struggling the first couple years even in the private sector(or however long before obtaining a legislature job). If OP must work in the private sector (due to lack of public sector jobs), he or she might be better off in Biglaw.

[Lomax]

I did assume that LRAP would save the OP but to truly be in rural Arkansas or Missouri, those areas are not likely to have public interest work that would qualify due to the smaller population. A smaller population means less public interest work available for the most part. He or She would likely be struggling the first couple years even in the private sector(or however long before obtaining a legislature job). If OP must work in the private sector (due to lack of public sector jobs), he or she might be better off in Biglaw.

To assume that LRAP would save the OP as per the OP's stipulation, you would have to assume that debt trouble would not force the OP's hand under any circumstance. Of course, the bolded is very true. It is possible, even likely, that there will be no attorney positions available to OP in or near his hometown (if it is in rural Missouri or Arkansas) when he graduates.

[Renzo]

If you are at Yale, and the LRAP will literally cover anything you do, go back to your region and start building political connections. If you go to any other school and will have to do something law-related to get LRAP, it may behoove you to take a biglaw gig, live spartanly and pay down the loans for a few years, then head home.