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I am graduating from a T14 law school this May around the top ten percent of the class. After graduation, I will clerk for a federal district court judge in the same state as my law school. I am struggling to decide which bar to take... here's why:

Last summer, I worked for a V10 law firm in NYC - turns out, I don't like NYC and can't afford to live there anyways. My firm (fortunately) gave me an offer to work in another office, but the problem is that it is in a state where I have absolutely no ties. I am struggling with the idea of taking the bar exam for that state when I could potentially hate living there. That said, it's an offer... to make a lot of $ in a state with a relatively low COL. The alternative is to take the bar in the state where I have my clerkship and a lot of family / ties. The only problem is that I don't have a job here.

Is one in the hand worth two in the bush? What do you think?

up

since you posted anon, just name the two states ur contemplating so people can help you decide.

Take the bar where you are going to practice (unless it's DC). The choice isn't where to take the bar, it's where you want to practice.

take the bar in the state where you have the job offer. You can always take the February bar for admission in your home state. Alternatively, check to see if there is reciprocity between the two states. If so, then you may want to consider working in the state with the job offer, then gaining admission in your home state so you can relocate.

northwood wrote:take the bar in the state where you have the job offer. You can always take the February bar for admission in your home state. Alternatively, check to see if there is reciprocity between the two states. If so, then you may want to consider working in the state with the job offer, then gaining admission in your home state so you can relocate.

This. (Maybe it's just me, but isn't this kind of common sense?) Also, you'll probably be able to pass in your home state with just what you know from studying for the bar in the state where you have a job (the bar exam is truly a minimal competency test, and it doesn't take much to pass), so it won't be much extra work. The only exception to that would be if your home state is somewhere with an unusual bar exam, like Virginia.

OP here. It's Virginia actually.