Top Law Schools

Ok, I go to a T2 in a state that I hate and would rather wash dishes somewhere else than live in. I am top 15%, journal, MC, firm and public interest experience, a few clinics, etc. My choices are as follows (both horrendous option, I know, but bear with me):

1. Move to another secondary market I like, but have no ties to (Think Nashville, Charlotte, Atlanta). I have ZERO ties to these markets, and "networking (you LOLing yet?) with a solid resume is all I have.

2. Move to Chicago. I have VERY strong ties to Chicago and some contacts that may not be able to guarantee me a job but may at least help me get my foot in the door possibly.

On the one hand I feel like the secondary markets will have less competition (though still very high) as compared to Chicago. I am worried that in Chicago I will face the entire t14, Wash, ND, UoI, Kent, LUC, DePaul and a few others before I even have a chance. The secondary markets also have a lower CoL so my 20K in savings will last a lot longer there than in Chicago while I look for work. On the other hand, I worry that no ties in the secondary markets will bury me and while Chicago has much more competition it also has many more jobs.

I realize these are both terrible options but where will my chances at a job after graduation be greater than zero?

No ties in Atlanta will be a serious hurdle to overcome. Also you will face competition from T-14, Emory, Vandy, and UT. I go to Emory and have friends in top 25% who have only gotten one or two CBs this year. They're all waiting to jump on small and mid sized firms when they start taking resumes.

Do you have ties to the South generally? If not, I see a move to Atlanta, Nashville, or Charlotte as near suicide. Those markets are pretty insular, and they have more than enough T14 options, along with Vandy, Emory, UNC, Wake, etc. I had substantial ties to one of the markets mentioned at a T14 and struck out.

I think Chicago is the better option. Honestly, though, the best might be to suck it up and try to get some experience in the state where your school is. Might be time to double down on the bad decision to go to a low-ranked school in a region you dislike.

If these are truly your only options, choose Chicago. This is a better option due to stronger ties and because the legal market is larger. You should be warned, however, that the Chicago market has been notoriously lousy the past few years, at least in comparison to other large markets, particularly NYC.

By no means should you focus energy on southern markets like Nashville, Atlanta, or Charlotte. Obtaining a high-paying legal job in Nashville is very difficult. Vandy and UT grads with extremely high grades and very strong connections target Nashville heavily. And by high grades, I am talking top 10% and LR, at least. To make matters worse, the legal market is tiny, and the firms care deeply about local ties. Atlanta has apparently been a slaughterhouse this year, just as it has in years past. Word on the street is that Charlotte is doing slightly better, but is still an insular legal market.

In all honesty, you would be better off looking for work in the secondary region of your law school. I would rather be in a place I hate with a good job, than a place I love without a good job. To each his own, though.

Charlotte is difficult to crack. UNC floods there, Wake too.

I feel like chicago makes more sense.