Keep looking in small market v. move to bigger market v. stop being a lawyer Forum

[Anonymous User]

I graduated from a T20 in 2014, not a URM, middling grades, went to a good undergrad, had a good GPA and worked in a niche consulting firm before law school. Did fed internships in DC during law school but I didn't get into any fed honors programs, took the bar, and landed a job at a 2 partner firm in the mid-sized Southern city where my law school is. The firm split up and I was let go earlier this year. It's been tough finding another gig here because, other than my mediocre resume, it's a small, insular market and my previous employer will only give me a neutral reference (it's a long story, but was not performance related, I got a raise and bonus 3 months before I was let go)
So I've been looking the last 6 months in this market but also anywhere else I could go without taking another bar exam. I've had interviews but no dice; I'm told I'm either over-qualified or there are much more qualified people (with 5+ years experience) vying for the same job. For the last few months I've been doing doc review at a law firm I like where they have hired on contract attorneys in the past, but there's no way of knowing if they will do that again. I could probably keep doing contract work for awhile at this firm, but I am worried about doing it for more than a few months. I've heard that the longer you do doc review the harder it is to find something else and I don't want to keep doing it if there's no chance of a job with this firm. So my options are:
1) Stay in this town and keep looking;
2) Move to DC and try to find something there (ideally fed govt because that's what I've always wanted and PSLF), because it's a bigger market, I can waive in, and I have a free place to live/family there; or
3) Just say fuck it and give up on being a lawyer.
Anyone found that actually moving to a larger market makes the difference? Or do I just need to give it more time in my market? I just worry that the more time I give it the more I am branded as doc review failure and foreclose the possibility of something better (if that possibility even really exists). I'm kind of losing my mind right now.