Electives in a Secondary Market Law School Forum

[dihydrogenmonoxide]

Hi,

I'm just curious about something. If I say anything stupid, its because I'm a 0L.

So I've read that the ratio of transactional jobs to litigation jobs is lower in secondary markets than in NYC/DC/LA/SF/CHI. Suppose one went to a school that places primarily in a secondary market. Would that mean that it would be better in terms of job prospects to focus on litigation in electives? To avoid responses like "take electives from the easiest grading profs", lets just assume that the profs are all equal. Also exclude IP law considerations.

By "job" I mean full time employment that pays enough that you don't drown in debt, not just biglaw.

[thrillerjesus]

By "job" I mean full time employment that pays enough that you don't drown in debt, not just biglaw.

This depends on how much debt you have. If you're going to be paying full price at a private school, biglaw is probably the only thing that fits your definition of "job."

[thrillerjesus]

By "job" I mean full time employment that pays enough that you don't drown in debt, not just biglaw.

This depends on how much debt you have. If you're going to be paying full price at a private school, biglaw is probably the only thing that fits your definition of "job."

Yeah exactly... There's absolutely NOOO way you could ever pay off your debt making less than 160k/yeah. It's completely impossible.

Obviously it's possible. Doesn't mean it would be easy to maintain a good standard of living while doing it though.

[Renzo]

By "job" I mean full time employment that pays enough that you don't drown in debt, not just biglaw.

This depends on how much debt you have. If you're going to be paying full price at a private school, biglaw is probably the only thing that fits your definition of "job."

Yeah exactly... There's absolutely NOOO way you could ever pay off your debt making less than 160k/yeah. It's completely impossible.

Obviously it's possible. Doesn't mean it would be easy to maintain a good standard of living while doing it though.

Let me see if I've got this right; you're saying that one will be able to afford less things if one makes less money? Or, is it that rich people have a higher standard of living than people who aren't rich?

[thrillerjesus]

Let me see if I've got this right; you're saying that one will be able to afford less things if one makes less money? Or, is it that rich people have a higher standard of living than people who aren't rich?

What? No, how did you get that? I'm saying that if you graduate with debt of around $180k and you don't get biglaw, it is unlikely that you'll be able to have a decent standard of living while servicing your debt. When did that become a controversial opinion?

[thrillerjesus]

Let me see if I've got this right; you're saying that one will be able to afford less things if one makes less money? Or, is it that rich people have a higher standard of living than people who aren't rich?

What? No, how did you get that? I'm saying that if you graduate with debt of around $180k and you don't get biglaw, it is unlikely that you'll be able to have a decent standard of living while servicing your debt. When did that become a controversial opinion?

His point is this: what makes a decent standard of living? It's not likely they would be at the poverty line, considering loan repayment stuff put in by the fed govt.

Ah, got it. For me, a decent standard of living is being able to live like a grownup, not a student. That means having a nice place in a decent neighborhood of a fun city. And no roommates. Doing that while making a monthly loan payment of roughly $1800 is not easy if your gross salary is $50k. If that makes me some elitist snob, so be it.

[gobucks101]

It's not likely they would be at the poverty line, considering loan repayment stuff put in by the fed govt.

This is what keeps me from jumping. 50-60k starting salary in a job you love, full benefits and pension plan, good job security, normal hours and not having to sweat loans (10% of income for 10 years then forgiven and that isn't even factoring in your schools loan repayment program). Piece of cake. God bless America.

Keep in mind I am talking about a secondary market where a bagel isn't 6 bucks.

edit- Reading this thread again obviously the above doesn't apply to OP. However, they do have the income based payments and 25 years later forgiven for private sector.

[Lawl Shcool]

This is what keeps me from jumping. 50-60k starting salary in a job you love, full benefits and pension plan, good job security, normal hours and not having to sweat loans (10% of income for 10 years then forgiven and that isn't even factoring in your schools loan repayment program). Piece of cake. God bless America.

Could you post a link to any legal job with those qualities?

[gobucks101]

This is what keeps me from jumping. 50-60k starting salary in a job you love, full benefits and pension plan, good job security, normal hours and not having to sweat loans (10% of income for 10 years then forgiven and that isn't even factoring in your schools loan repayment program). Piece of cake. God bless America.

Could you post a link to any legal job with those qualities?

--LinkRemoved--

Lower pay in smaller markets. I think it is either Pittsburgh or Philly that is 48k starting with annual raises up to 60k followed by only merit raises. Also I notice you are OSU. In Columbus it is Prosecuting Attorney's office headed up by Ron O'Brien who is a good man. He was City Attorney before he took that on.

edit- just to be clear I used the Manhattan office because it lists its benefits right there. Some 4000 people apply for only 50 spots at that office. Those kind of benefits though exist in other less competitive cities though

[Lawl Shcool]

I stand corrected. Touche my friend.