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Do I have ties to Tampa if I lived in Sarasota for 4 years and was born in Orlando? I also have family scattered all around the state, though none are actually in Tampa.

I don't know about the specifics of Florida's geography, but my understanding is that family = ties only if you're talking about your parents or your significant other.

So the family part seems like it is out then. Any ideas on whether going to middle school ~50 minutes from the area is a tie? It seems kind of feeble now that I put it in writing, but I'm starting to wonder if I have ties anywhere what with the military family and all.

I think middle school is a pretty tenuous tie. Undergrad is a good one and high school might be a decent one if you're in a place where people care about that sort of thing (St. Louis).

I feel your pain, re: lack of ties. My ties are to New York, the only market where ties are absolutely meaningless.

Good lord, listen to yourselves. How hard is it to simply apply common sense? There is no hard-and-fast rule; there isn't a NALP spreadsheet that states that an uncle in Clearwater is roughly the equivalent of an ex-girlfriend in Bradenton.

OP, you clearly have a connection with the greater Tampa area, and can easily explain why you would want to practice there. That's it: you're done.

Yeah, "ties" are oversold on TLS. It's all about selling. Find a way to connect yourself to the area, and sell to the employer that you're willing to stay there and committed to being there. Some of them won't believe you for sure,but if you're honest with yourself about your reasons, more often than not it'll work out.

I got Florida interviews and callbacks (and one offer), and I've only ever been there twice. Once when I went to Disney World as a kid, and when I went to Miami for my interviews.

Glad to read it. Thanks for that clarification.

My ties are to New York, the only market where ties are absolutely meaningless

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Kabuo wrote:So the family part seems like it is out then. Any ideas on whether going to middle school ~50 minutes from the area is a tie? It seems kind of feeble now that I put it in writing, but I'm starting to wonder if I have ties anywhere what with the military family and all.

As written here? Beyond feeble. If you rephrase it "grew up nearby," it's great. Creative wording, people. Learn it. Love it.