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Hello everyone,

I am a 2L median at T30 in South. I have spent my entire life in the South and have yet to receive a CB from any of the firms I have interviewed with near my hometown or where I go to school. I am set on living here for the long term and would like to practice near where I go to school after graduation. However, to this point I have only received CBs from 2 firms (Mid/Big Law) in the Midwest.

If I am offered a position in the Midwest, and accept for my 2L summer, did I just basically kiss my chances of staying in the South goodbye? I would be willing to take a 20-30% pay cut if it meant being able to stay closer to my family. Any anecdotal experience from someone in the same position would be helpful thanks guys.

Anonymous User wrote:Hello everyone,

I am a 2L median at T30 in South. I have spent my entire life in the South and have yet to receive a CB from any of the firms I have interviewed with near my hometown or where I go to school. I am set on living here for the long term and would like to practice near where I go to school after graduation. However, to this point I have only received CBs from 2 firms (Mid/Big Law) in the Midwest.

If I am offered a position in the Midwest, and accept for my 2L summer, did I just basically kiss my chances of staying in the South goodbye? I would be willing to take a 20-30% pay cut if it meant being able to stay closer to my family. Any anecdotal experience from someone in the same position would be helpful thanks guys.

If you like the love, you'll love the midwest. It's like the south but with way less anti intellectualism and covert racism instead of overt.

You aren't kissing the south goodbye by taking an SA. What city btw?

If the South means somewhere other than Texas, it's a wasteland out there for SA spots. if you want BL, take an offer. if you want the south, take the offer and keep looking for other stuff (almost certainly won't get BL) during 2/3L.

OP here - I am from the Southeast (Charlotte/South Carolina area). I have CBs scheduled for St. Louis and Chicago, but have been told by my CSO that basically if I take a position in the Midwest I will have to practice there. I know the 3L openings are slim, but let's say I take a position with one of the firms in the Midwest for the 2L summer, is that better than say working for a low paying position here in my target market?

It's not big law or bust for me. I would be fine working for a small to midsize firm if it meant earning let's say 60-70k starting. I just have had no luck in finding anyone with those positions available, or am I just not looking hard enough?

60-70K starting in small/midlaw in the South sounds like it might not exist, does it?

I would take one of the SAs if you can and then hustle 3L year to find something in your desired markets. Job>no job. Also median at T30 is a beggar who can't really be a chooser in this situation IMO.

Eta: that sounds mean, all I meant is that if you snag big law that's a phenomenal outcome and I would be inclined to take it and try to get back some day.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here - I am from the Southeast (Charlotte/South Carolina area). I have CBs scheduled for St. Louis and Chicago, but have been told by my CSO that basically if I take a position in the Midwest I will have to practice there. I know the 3L openings are slim, but let's say I take a position with one of the firms in the Midwest for the 2L summer, is that better than say working for a low paying position here in my target market?

It's not big law or bust for me. I would be fine working for a small to midsize firm if it meant earning let's say 60-70k starting. I just have had no luck in finding anyone with those positions available, or am I just not looking hard enough?

Depends. Do you consider making 3k a week in Chicago better than making 3k a month in the Southeast?

Law firm salary distributions tend to be 125-135k for SE Biglaw or 30-40ish for small law, so taking a small haircut for midlaw isn't really a thing - midlaw tends to be around 90-120 but it's as hard to get as biglaw because, once again, there are so few spots.

Getting BL offers from median at what I assume is Emory (or maybe one of the SE state schools?) is a phenomenal outcome, as BigZuck pointed out. I'd be reluctant to pass on that unless I basically had locked up a dream job in my target market, but different strokes for different folks I guess.

ETA: Just realized you don't have offers. This is a very premature discussion until you get offers.