Deciding where to attend? My perspective from biglaw Forum

[August Wilson]

Let me just say I sincerely doubt that BB and AA are the same person. And that an IP address (assuming they match) is hardly proof that they are the same people.

[patogordo]

AAJD2B is an obvious alt, so even if it's not BB i say good riddance.

also it's obviously blaqbella come on

[180kickflip]

There may be similarities between AAJD and Blaqbella's writing style, but their posting/join dates seem to overlap. Unless it is also believed that she was at one point posting under two SNs in anticipation of a ban (well ahead of the actual ban), then I'm inclined to believe they are two different users.

edit: after reading the post before me, I don't know what to think. Guess I'll just fall back and watch the drama unfold =/

[chup]

Pardon??? Banned for what?? I have no clue who blaqbella is and I am not that person.

You don't understand how IP addresses work, do you?

Dude, maybe you don't know how IP addresses work. They aren't unique to individuals or individual devices. ISPs can and often do lump users together allowing for a situation were multiple entities can have and use the same IP address. Google it, bruh. If your gonna come for people, you better come correct or just take seat.

Yeah no shit, there were a couple different overlaps, and both of them posted the vast majority of their posts from the same locations. That paired with a few other similarities was enough.

But thank you, all, for assuming I don't know how to do my job.

[chup]

There may be similarities between AAJD and Blaqbella's writing style, but their posting/join dates seem to overlap. Unless it is also believed that she was at one point posting under two SNs in anticipation of a ban (well ahead of the actual ban), then I'm inclined to believe they are two different users.

People start multiple accounts on TLS all the fucking time. Half my time modding is spent nuking alt accounts.

[chup]

Also this is not the thread to complain about bans.

If you want to do that, go here.

[kaiser]

While I'm all about giving the benefit of the doubt, I've also learned to trust my hunches when something smells fishy. The mod here has more than enough info to make the right call.

[AJS915]

I'm fairly new to this forum and don't rly care who is or isn't permabanned, but for fun's sake,

AAJD2B would be a plausible alt for blaqbella. AA could, or could not, be a reference to her aforementioned URM status (which is more explicit in the name blaqbella). JD needs no explanation. 2B could stand for BlaqBella.

[t-14orbust]

I'm fairly new to this forum and don't rly care who is or isn't permabanned, but for fun's sake,

AAJD2B would be a plausible alt for blaqbella. AA could, or could not, be a reference to her aforementioned URM status (which is more explicit in the name blaqbella). JD needs no explanation. 2B could stand for BlaqBella.

this thread is the best I've read in a long while

[03152016]

Glad to have a break from her idiotic and delusional shitposting, at least until her next alt.

[180kickflip]

I'm fairly new to this forum and don't rly care who is or isn't permabanned, but for fun's sake,

AAJD2B would be a plausible alt for blaqbella. AA could, or could not, be a reference to her aforementioned URM status (which is more explicit in the name blaqbella). JD needs no explanation. 2B could stand for BlaqBella.

Ha! Trying to fool us with misdirection arent you?....Blaqbella!!




lol

[IAFG]

Even if she wasn't bb (and she was) she is still support staff putting on airs. NUKE.

[03152016]

Meanwhile OP:

[A. Nony Mouse]

I know - I was feeling bad for how the OP's thread had been derailed (even as I played a part in that). Please, all, drop discussion of the ban and the debate prior to the ban in this thread. Thanks.

[exitoptions]

The point of this post is to offer some insight to law school applicants while selfishly allowing myself an avenue to vent. A little about me: I'm a graduate from a top 14 school working as a junior associate in a V50 biglaw firm. I do litigation, or at least what passes for it in biglaw.

Think strategically about where you apply and what you intend to pursue as a career. I say this not to dissuade anyone from law school. I actually like being a lawyer. I say this because we too often follow what is echoed on law school message boards, by prelaw undergrad advisors, by friends, or whoever: go to the best school you can because it will open more doors. Many lifetimes ago, I wanted to go to law school because I wanted to be a plaintiffs' trial lawyer. I didn't know much about corporate law or biglaw. I wanted to try plaintiffs' cases. Then, when I began applying, I did plenty of research and fell into the prestige trap. I needed a good school because I thought I needed biglaw or "prestige."

When deciding on a school, I had a few choices. Ultimately, I was between a top 14 school with a small scholarship, or a second tier school nearly for free. I chose the T14 school because everyone made the same vague reference to better career opportunities. I considered the opportunities it might foreclose. Because of the cost of attending, I now needed to land biglaw, unless I wanted to be in debt for 25 years. Plus, the prestige chase didn't end with enrollment. The attitude perpetuated by the school was that if you didn't land biglaw, you weren't successful.

Now I'm in biglaw and the irony is that I'll likely never be a trial lawyer. I also likely won't last in biglaw for more than a few years, after which I'm not sure what I'll do. I'll try to lateral to a decent plaintiffs' trial firm, but I doubt I'll be able to because they all want attorneys with significant trial experience -- something you I won't get in biglaw. The skills I'll learn here will not transfer.

I generally like my firm and the people I work with. I dislike the work. I'm unlikely to appear in a courtroom for the first three years, and even after that, trials are few and far between. I may get to argue some motions after 3-4 years. I review a lot of documents and make a lot of spreadsheets. To the extent that I do research, it's for footnotes in briefs. The cases are not the type that are exciting to me. I really can't bring myself to care about a credit agreement. And this is litigation. Being in the corporate department would put me to sleep. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that I went to law school because I wanted to be a lawyer.

The point of this rambling post is this: the reason I originally wanted to go to law school was lost somewhere along the way by following the orthodox advice without thinking too much about its long term implications. If I had gone to the lesser-ranked school on a scholarship, I would have had less debt and had more freedom to pursue the type of firm and career I wanted.

Some people don't want to try cases, and that's good. Some people dream of being corporate lawyers and papering deals for the businesspeople that make them happen. I don't necessarily understand why, but if that's your dream, biglaw is a good fit. I just hope that this post gives some perspective to applicants. I'm fortunate to have my job, because I'm paid well and without it I would die in debt. But think about your real career goals before falling into the prestige trap. Unfortunately for me, I'll never get to be the lawyer I wanted, and I won't get to forge the career I wanted.

I was in a similar position to OP before I left for a clerkship. I went to a T14 with the intention of serving in the government. But, T14 style debt levels limit your options, even considering PLSF (because of the limits on income etc.). The problem is, if you go to a lower tier law school there's a good chance you won't be a lawyer at all, or else you may end up stuck at a horrible firm you hate (like a friend I know). Basically the industry is awful for new entries. It's setup, like much of the country, to service the baby boomers. Stay away unless you are absolutely certain you want to be a lawyer.

[helfer snooterbagon]

I made the opposite choice. I picked the lower ranked school (ranked around 60) with full scholarship and graduated debt free. I was lucky enough to finish top 3 in my class but still there are certain avenues that are closed to me. But, perhaps these avenues would be closed even if I had gone to the higher ranked school (Bottom of the t-14).

The point about needing big law to service the debt is credited. I work for the Feds so my workweek is generally 40 hours per week. I do trials, I write motions and argue them, but for whatever reason I still sometimes wish I worked in big law. I also wish that I could tell people I went to a better school. That is just me being insecure though. I would be pretty pissed if I worked big law hours and had less pay then I do now because of having to pay student loans.

[t-14orbust]

I made the opposite choice. I picked the lower ranked school (ranked around 60) with full scholarship and graduated debt free. I was lucky enough to finish top 3 in my class but still there are certain avenues that are closed to me. But, perhaps these avenues would be closed even if I had gone to the higher ranked school (Bottom of the t-14).

The point about needing big law to service the debt is credited. I work for the Feds so my workweek is generally 40 hours per week. I do trials, I write motions and argue them, but for whatever reason I still sometimes wish I worked in big law. I also wish that I could tell people I went to a better school. That is just me being insecure though. I would be pretty pissed if I worked big law hours and had less pay then I do now because of having to pay student loans.

Can you please elaborate on what exactly your job is and how much it pays? Seems pretty chill. Please PM me if you don't want to share here. thanks!! Graduating debt free and in the top 3 of your class doesn't sound like something to regret lol congrats!

[helfer snooterbagon]

I prosecute felony level criminal offenses. Mainly sex crimes. Pay is about $110k a year. Overall, I think I made the right choice. But, within law there is this whole pursuit of prestige that I have done my best to tune out, but not entirely successfully.

[t-14orbust]

I prosecute felony level criminal offenses. Mainly sex crimes. Pay is about $110k a year. Overall, I think I made the right choice. But, within law there is this whole pursuit of prestige that I have done my best to tune out, but not entirely successfully.

Sounds like you hit the legal jackpot to me. No debt and 100k+ working ~40 hours a week? You win brother. Grass is always greener, I suppose

[Otunga]

I prosecute felony level criminal offenses. Mainly sex crimes. Pay is about $110k a year. Overall, I think I made the right choice. But, within law there is this whole pursuit of prestige that I have done my best to tune out, but not entirely successfully.

The job that all the Law and Order SVU addicts want?

[ggocat]

I prosecute felony level criminal offenses. Mainly sex crimes. Pay is about $110k a year. Overall, I think I made the right choice. But, within law there is this whole pursuit of prestige that I have done my best to tune out, but not entirely successfully.

2010 grad? That is very good pay for the job, particularly in the midwest. Congrats!

[helfer snooterbagon]

I prosecute felony level criminal offenses. Mainly sex crimes. Pay is about $110k a year. Overall, I think I made the right choice. But, within law there is this whole pursuit of prestige that I have done my best to tune out, but not entirely successfully.

The job that all the Law and Order SVU addicts want?

There are some moments like that. However, there are some tough things to deal with. For me, it is the sex crimes against children. I love my job, but I hate having to view child pornography before a prosecution. You can't forget that stuff.

[copingtrope]

I did plenty of research and fell into the prestige trap. I needed a good school because I thought I needed biglaw or "prestige."

When deciding on a school, I had a few choices. Ultimately, I was between a top 14 school with a small scholarship, or a second tier school nearly for free. I chose the T14 school because everyone made the same vague reference to better career opportunities. I considered the opportunities it might foreclose. Because of the cost of attending, I now needed to land biglaw, unless I wanted to be in debt for 25 years.

When you asked people about which school to choose, did you make it clear that you wanted to become a plaintiffs' attorney? Because there are a lot of people on this board who would tell you to take the full scholarship based on your specific goals. Maybe you just got bad advice, but I don't think that that advice is representative of the advice you get here in general. Sure, there are those who may overstate the importance of attending a T14, but that isn't so much about "prestige" as it is about job prospects (which, according to LST, aren't quite so "vague"). In other words, the point is to get you where you want with the smallest financial burden, and that appears to be what most good advice on here tries to do. I'm sorry your situation didn't work out, though.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Since biglawbust has graduated and is working, I also think it's entirely possible that at the time s/he was deciding where to go, the advice was different. Pre-recession and pre-LST people spoke about law school very differently than they do now. (I'm class of 2011 - the recession hit during my 1L year, and LST didn't exist.)

[09042014]

There may be similarities between AAJD and Blaqbella's writing style, but their posting/join dates seem to overlap. Unless it is also believed that she was at one point posting under two SNs in anticipation of a ban (well ahead of the actual ban), then I'm inclined to believe they are two different users.

People start multiple accounts on TLS all the fucking time. Half my time modding is spent nuking alt accounts.

Can you search by email? I wonder how many myname+N@gmail.com accounts there are.