Worth it to transfer? Utah--> Berkeley Forum

[amp2017]

Current Law School: Utah
Total debt: 70K including UG loans
*Edit: On Law Review here.

Transfer school: Berkeley
Total Debt: 180k including UG loans

I'm from the Rocky Mountains and wouldn't mind staying and working in Salt Lake at one of the midlaw/regional firms. My cost of living in Salt Lake is free because my partner bought us a house here and his job alone comfortably pays for COL. I do, however, have a significant amount of my mom's side of the family in California. I'd like working pretty much anywhere in California, but would prefer LA if I went to Berkeley. I'd like to go into commercial litigation. There is a decent chance that my partner gets a job at USC in the next two years. However, he could stay in his current job in Salt Lake if he wants.

[sandwhich]

Are you already admitted?

[amp2017]

Yes.

[PoopNpants]

IMO too much debt. stay put

[fisheatbananas]

Yes! Even if you don't mind working in/around Utah, you might change your mind in the future and Berkeley will allow you to work almost anywhere (and likely with higher salary).

[chuckbass]

It really sounds like you want to be in CA, so I'd take Berkeley here. It's certainly a lot of debt though but it's not crazy.

[californiauser]

Berkeley isn't worth 180k. I'd stay in Utah. Plus, if things are serious with your partner, this doesn't seem like an opportune time to leave.

[BiglawAssociate]

You're likely going to hate practicing as an attorney, so I say stay and save some cash.

Also, as a native Californian, I can say that California is a TTT in decline for the past 15 or so years, in part due to an influx of migrants from out of the state. So yeah, not a great place to live anymore.

[CanadianWolf]

Stay as the only sure thing about transferring is the enormous debt & since you like Utah & the Rocky Mtn. region. Many firms in that area have offices in the major cities in Utah, Arizona, Colorado & other surrounding states. The UBE (Uniform Bar Exam) is offered in Utah & offers easy bar score transferability among 16 states including Utah, Arizona, Colorado, & Washington.

In short, why mess with a good thing ? Healthy personal situation & ability to concentrate on law review, school & personal life outweighs intense focus on getting biglaw job needed to repay enormous law school debt.

[rpupkin]

You're likely going to hate practicing as an attorney, so I say stay and save some cash.

Also, as a native Californian, can say that California is a TTT in decline for the past 15 or so years, in part due to an influx of migrants from out of the state. So yeah, not a great place to live anymore.

This is dumb. I'm also a native Californian, and people have been saying the same thing about California since the early 1980s.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

I haven't practiced yet (studying for bar now) but I think assuming you will hate practicing is a false assumption. If you think that is TCR just drop out of law school now. This is a tough decision but I would probably stay in Utah. It will make California very tough to get but debt will be manageable. Also I've read that the California market is very tough bc there are like 40 law schools in the state + tons of people want to go there (including me, potentially, in the future--lol). In addition given that you SO has a job and owns a house in Utah it sounds like person considerations weigh in favor of staying.

[jeanshortsjorts]

You're likely going to hate practicing as an attorney, so I say stay and save some cash.

Also, as a native Californian, I can say that California is a TTT in decline for the past 15 or so years, in part due to an influx of migrants from out of the state. So yeah, not a great place to live anymore.

This guy is a douche.

[BiglawAssociate]

This guy is a douche.

You're not from California, and you're likely not rich (so you can't afford to live in any city worth living in). Not sure why you're clamoring to move to California when you can't afford it.

This is the problem with California these days (and other big urban areas around the country) - too many poor to middle class moving to live the "California dream" and instead living 5 to a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco and stinking up the place for the natives. While the high density sucks for everyone, at least the natives already own multi-million dollar property and can afford to live in California.

[merde_happens]

This guy is a douche.

You're not from California, and you're likely not rich (so you can't afford to live in any city worth living in). Not sure why you're clamoring to move to California when you can't afford it.

This is the problem with California these days (and other big urban areas around the country) - too many poor to middle class moving to live the "California dream" and instead living 5 to a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco and stinking up the place for the natives. While the high density sucks for everyone, at least the natives already own multi-million dollar property and can afford to live in California.

This is so wildly off base I wonder if you've ever actually been to California in the last 15 years. If anyone is getting priced out of the Bay Area, it's the natives. The tech transplants who are flooding in can actually afford to pay $3500 for a 1 BR. The only reason that many natives can still afford to live here is because they either bought or rented when the market was down and are now sitting on rent controlled apartments or a stupid amount of equity. Even if they now own "multi-million dollar houses" it's likely because that house was $400k when they bought it twenty years ago, not because they could actually afford a $3mm dollar mortgage.

There are plenty of reasons for native Californians to hate transplants but the idea that they're coming over here poor and hungry and stinking up the place for all the native rich people is laughable.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Ripping off another poster, but everything BiglawAssociate posts is about hating law, hating poor people, and how law doesn't make you rich. We're just missing references to his rich wife. So he can pretty safely be ignored.

OP, this is a small thing in your post I know, but what does "there is a decent chance that your partner gets a job at USC in the next 2 years" mean? University gigs are pretty tough to get, in all areas.

[BiglawAssociate]

This guy is a douche.

You're not from California, and you're likely not rich (so you can't afford to live in any city worth living in). Not sure why you're clamoring to move to California when you can't afford it.

This is the problem with California these days (and other big urban areas around the country) - too many poor to middle class moving to live the "California dream" and instead living 5 to a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco and stinking up the place for the natives. While the high density sucks for everyone, at least the natives already own multi-million dollar property and can afford to live in California.

This is so wildly off base I wonder if you've ever actually been to California in the last 15 years. If anyone is getting priced out of the Bay Area, it's the natives. The tech transplants who are flooding in can actually afford to pay $3500 for a 1 BR. The only reason that many natives can still afford to live here is because they either bought or rented when the market was down and are now sitting on rent controlled apartments or a stupid amount of equity. Even if they now own "multi-million dollar houses" it's likely because that house was $400k when they bought it twenty years ago, not because they could actually afford a $3mm dollar mortgage.

There are plenty of reasons for native Californians to hate transplants but the idea that they're coming over here poor and hungry and stinking up the place for all the native rich people is laughable.

That's my point - natives own property outright already. They don't have to pay rent or a mortgage. Property taxes aren't THAT high to price them out. I don't see what's so hard to understand about that. On top of that, the average techie does not make good money (albeit better than lawyers) so they could never afford to buy decent property anywhere in the Bay Area. Making low six figures where the average property value is 1 to 2 million makes you poor as shit. What's the point of renting for life? I don't see the point. Instead of paying 3500 for some shitty apartment, never able to buy a decent place, just GTFO. There's just tons of poors renting for life in urban areas - I don't get it.

[jbagelboy]

This guy is a douche.

You're not from California, and you're likely not rich (so you can't afford to live in any city worth living in). Not sure why you're clamoring to move to California when you can't afford it.

This is the problem with California these days (and other big urban areas around the country) - too many poor to middle class moving to live the "California dream" and instead living 5 to a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco and stinking up the place for the natives. While the high density sucks for everyone, at least the natives already own multi-million dollar property and can afford to live in California.

You are the actual worst.

And I'm from orange county.

[BiglawAssociate]

This guy is a douche.

You're not from California, and you're likely not rich (so you can't afford to live in any city worth living in). Not sure why you're clamoring to move to California when you can't afford it.

This is the problem with California these days (and other big urban areas around the country) - too many poor to middle class moving to live the "California dream" and instead living 5 to a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco and stinking up the place for the natives. While the high density sucks for everyone, at least the natives already own multi-million dollar property and can afford to live in California.

You are the actual worst.

And I'm from orange county.

You're not contesting what I'm saying though, because you know it's the truth. There are too many poors and proles migrating to California, living like third world bums.

[seashellstandard]

Oh good lord. Are you trying to out-Trump the Donald, BigLawAssociate?

[Ajren Robben]

Depends if you want BigLaw or not. If so, I would transfer. If not, then it depends on what chances Utah gives you to get the type of work that you want to ultimately do.

The extra debt is a lot, but would not be such a big deal in the long term especially with the zero COL and all.

[Nebby]

Depends if you want BigLaw or not. If so, I would transfer. If not, then it depends on what chances Utah gives you to get the type of work that you want to ultimately do.

The extra debt is a lot, but would not be such a big deal in the long term especially with the zero COL and all.

About 4 months late to the party, bub.

[Ajren Robben]

Depends if you want BigLaw or not. If so, I would transfer. If not, then it depends on what chances Utah gives you to get the type of work that you want to ultimately do.

The extra debt is a lot, but would not be such a big deal in the long term especially with the zero COL and all.

About 4 months late to the party, bub.

oh right silly me.