Another Transfer Poll Forum

[nahgems]

I'm 30. I have an 90k/year tenured government job. I am attending law school in the evenings. I picked my T4 because it allowed me to keep my job and it was free. While I like and respect my professors, I find classes frustrating and slow.

For personal/family reasons, I would like to relocate to Philly. I've been accepted to the evening program at Temple. I don't have a job lined up there yet (I'm fairly confident I can get one, but would probably take a significant salary cut, probably to ~60k). My husband can work from either location. His salary would remain constant.

Thoughts?

[concurrent fork]

Safe, 90k/yr employment is better than your prospects at a T2 in this market - especially as a transfer. Unless you hate your job and the personal reasons to relocate are very compelling, I would stay where you are and finish your free JD on the side.

[bk1]

Chances of getting a job in Philly close to 100%? If so, is living in Philly worth a 30k pay cut to you and your husband?

[nahgems]

Safe, 90k/yr employment is better than your prospects at a T2 in this market - especially as a transfer. Unless you hate your job and the personal reasons to relocate are very compelling, I would stay where you are and finish your free JD on the side.

Yeah, this is kind of what I was expecting to hear. I'm actually surprised that the poll results are coming in close. I kind of thought staying was the obvious answer and that my emotional involvement was the only reason I was considering transferring. I have some health problems and would like to be closer to family. My grandma is having health problems and probably won't be around much longer. My family really wants me to be closer to home. My husband and I are eventually considering kids - and if we are going to have them then it probably has to be in the next few years. Living near family would be a HUGE help. And attending Temple would probably be more challenging. And that would make me happy.

[nahgems]

Chances of getting a job in Philly close to 100%? If so, is living in Philly worth a 30k pay cut to you and your husband?

I really don't know. Really it is a 30k pay cut AND the cost of tuition. I'm in a field that hasn't been hit hard by the economy. My resume is pretty rock solid. I've already have a few call backs. I'm fairly certain something would come through.

[Jack Smirks]

I would not even consider leaving my 90K job in these troubling economic times.

[nahgems]

I would not even consider leaving my 90K job in these troubling economic times.

Thats a valid point. As I said, I'm in a weird field with a highly specialized/marketable skill set. I'm not horribly worried about finding another job, although I'm pretty sure I would take a pay cut (but also a cost of living cut).

[Journeybound]

To be honest, T2 classes can be frustrating and slow. So you might not get much of an improvement jumping ship.

[ToTransferOrNot]

Why the hell are you in law school?

Transfering would probably be the worst decision of your life. Just FYI.

[solidsnake]

Keep your current job. Temple will most likely not allow you to beat what you are already earning -- unless you're independently wealthy and don't need to work in order to survive and live a happy, meaningful life -- if that's the case, do whatever you want.

[nahgems]

[quote="ToTransferOrNot"]Why the hell are you in law school?[\quote]

Ha! I ask myself that question a lot. Mostly because I find it more interesting than what I do now. And because I am somewhat idealistic. Right now I am a numbers geek. I create data/reports that go to policy makers. And those policy makers don't always understand numbers because they aren't data geeks. And I think that people making the policy decisions should have the background to understand the data they are working with. But they are often touchy-feely, love-and-hugs people. And they don't understand data. But without a law degree I can't move up to one of the policy positions. I have a great job, but there is no upwards mobility. And that is frustrating.

[nahgems]

Keep your current job. Temple will most likely not allow you to beat what you are already earning -- unless you're independently wealthy and don't need to work in order to survive and live a happy, meaningful life -- if that's the case, do whatever you want.

Sadly I am not independantly wealthy. But I also don't really need 90k/year to be happy; 60k would be fine.

[TuNeCedeMalis]

I don't know how much the $ matters to you, but my input, especially considering the personal circumstances you mentioned (your own and your grandfather's health issues, and the possibility of having kids) would be family first. Family, family, family, family. I guess you'll have to try quantify whether the benefits they would bring would compensate for the $.

[savagecheater]

I would not even consider leaving my 90K job in these troubling economic times.

[CanadianWolf]

Since you are tenured in your $90,000 a year government position, I assume that you have more than 2 weeks vacation per year. The extra vacation & the extra $30, 000 (plus free law school tuition) should allow you abundant opportunities to visit the Philadelphia area. A tenured government position paying $90,000 a year is too much to give up based on the information in this thread assuming that you have generous vacation time.
One of the core values of a legal education is learning to teach oneself. This can be accomplished at any ABA accredited law school, in my opinion.

[nahgems]

19.5 vacation days.

[nahgems]

I don't know how much the $ matters to you, but my input, especially considering the personal circumstances you mentioned (your own and your grandfather's health issues, and the possibility of having kids) would be family first. Family, family, family, family. I guess you'll have to try quantify whether the benefits they would bring would compensate for the $.

Yeah. That is basically what it comes down to.