Top Law Schools

background:
Georgetown 2L Transfer
Class Rank - not top third (they don't give ANY ranking information other than top third)
Secondary Journal w/ position
part-time job clerking for law firm (with an offer for post graduation work)

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Went to Tampa to visit my best friend and loved it. I would move there tomorrow.

How is the legal market, and how do I establish enough ties/relationship with Tampa to get over that hurdle for a post-grad job?

Tampa big law market is pretty bad. I would recommend checking out smaller firms.

This isn't Tampa-specific, but every lawyer I met or worked with in Florida last summer (1L) went to a Florida school, mostly UF, FSU, and Miami. You're probably too late to make sufficient connections, short of being in a long-term relationship with a Floridian who's planning on living there. Maybe buy some real estate there if you can afford it?

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NY biglaw => get in touch with recruiters right away => Florida

Ties are critical and to the extent V100 or AmLaw 250 exists, they're taking top 5% at UF and T14 folks from Tampa. Email GULC alums in Tampa (they exist), consider state appellate or A1 clerkship, and mass mail.

Given your lack of ties, you're probably better starting up north and trying to transfer down, as DallasCowboy /rad lulz suggested. Still though, you'll need a credible answer to "why Tampa?"

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