Advice desperately sought; I am seriously thinking about moving to Dallas (Austin: insurance, lawyer)

[AustinCattaneo]

I will be graduating law school (in Ohio) this December, and I need to decide, rather quickly, whether to to move to Dallas. I have read several posts in this forum, as well as several other blogs about Dallas. For those of you living in Dallas, some advice would be greatly appreciated. From what I can tell, the pro/con comparison is as follows:

Pros: It rarely ever snows. Summer sports can be played nearly year-round. Relatively low cost of living. Sprawling, urban metropolis with an excellent variety of culture and nightlife. Among the major U.S. cities in warm climates, Dallas seems like a logical choice. [Yes, I realize I am using vague, boilerplate language that makes me sound like I am simply reciting a visitor's guide.]

Cons: I don't know anyone who lives in Dallas. That alone, presents an intimidating deterrant. Is there too much of an evangelical, republican influence for an aggressive, liberal democrat?

Any thoughts and advice would be extremely helpful.

[Lakewooder]

The Lavender Heart of Texas - TIME

"The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau operates a website proclaiming that "Dallas truly is the most liberal city in Texas!" It's wild exaggeration--Austin, home of the main UT campus and the D.A. prosecuting Tom DeLay, has valid claim to the title--but Democrats now occupy not only the Dallas mayor's office and most city-council seats (which are only technically nonpartisan) but also 57 of 84 offices in sprawling, once right-wing Dallas County.

Last fall, just six years after Dick Cheney left the Dallas office of Halliburton for Washington, Democrats swept every county-wide contested race. And on May 12, Dallas sent an openly gay candidate into next month's mayoral runoff..."

[AustinCattaneo]

Thank you for your political insights. Do you know anything about the "legal climate" in Dallas? Specifically, is the legal market ultra-competitive? I have read that Dallas is not as cutthroat-competitive as Manhattan, DC, or LA, but I have also read that the Dallas area is a competitive place for a new attorney.

I will be graduating from a lower-tiered law school (although I have a high class rank and moot court experience), so even getting interviews should be a challenge. Any thoughts?

[Macbeth2003]

Originally Posted by AustinCattaneo

Is there too much of an evangelical, republican influence for an aggressive, liberal democrat?

Any thoughts and advice would be extremely helpful.

Certainly not in Dallas itself. You will find that the degree of conservatism (really more neo-con than classic conservatism) grows as you get farther from the city. Plano more conservative than Dallas, Frisco more conservative than Plano, etc.

Dallas has a good mix, and very little animosity between conservatives and liberals.

[stan4]

Yeah, there is a very healthy mix of conservatives and liberals here. Just head down to Oak Lawn! Dallas also ranked as one of the top 10 cities to live in if you're gay.

What I like about the DFW area is that you can just be whoever you are and do your thing.

As to the legal market, what kind of law do you want to get into? My bro just graduated (top tier law school) and is going to work for a large IP firm.

[Macbeth2003]

Originally Posted by AustinCattaneo

Thank you for your political insights. Do you know anything about the "legal climate" in Dallas? Specifically, is the legal market ultra-competitive? I have read that Dallas is not as cutthroat-competitive as Manhattan, DC, or LA, but I have also read that the Dallas area is a competitive place for a new attorney.

I will be graduating from a lower-tiered law school (although I have a high class rank and moot court experience), so even getting interviews should be a challenge. Any thoughts?

I have had many attorney friends here, some of whom have moved on to other places, some still here. All talk about how easy it is to make a living as a lawyer here. All of them had degrees earned locally, non of them top tier and all did very very well for themselves.

[AustinCattaneo]

You people are full of good news! I truly thank you for your responses. I am hoping the initial anxiety of moving to a place where I know absolutely nobody will be overcome once I acquire a job and "assimilate." It is either that, or move to where my friends are in Orange County and San Diego. However, I am not too crazy about southern California, primarily because of the traffic and the insanely high cost of living.

I am hoping to specialize in litigation (actually being in court, arguing cases) and appellate work. However, I think I may be relegated to working in the realm of personal injury and insurance work - I worked for an insurance company for 4 years before going to law school, and I am clerking for a personal injury plaintiff's firm right now. Nevertheless, I would like to go work for a law firm that will place in a position to do actual trial work.

[stan4]

Sounds like you and my bro agree. He picked this IP firm b/c they are involved in prosecution. If I ever went into (*choke*) law, I would want to be in the courtroom, too.

Here is some recruiter info on Dallas legal environment:

Dallas is home to many diverse law firms. Some Dallas firms are small litigation boutiques with such a strong emphasis on trial work that even first-year attorneys try cases. Several trial firms have chosen offices in Dallas because it provides relatively short flights with convenient connections to any point in the United States. These firms are involved in interesting litigation, and this is a great opportunity for people seeking a lifestyle that involves active, high-level litigation matters and travel. There are many fine firms in Dallas that rank among the state's top 10.

Candidates considering a move to Dallas will find that there is a demand for well-credentialed litigation attorneys with a few years of experience at a good firm. There are also available positions with firms who want to see true courtroom and deposition experience at a level beyond that reached by most associates at larger firms. Candidates from smaller firms who have this kind of experience, along with reasonably good academic backgrounds, could also easily find positions in Dallas.

[AustinCattaneo]

I will be in Dallas this Thursday and Friday. I plan to spend the daylight hours walking around downtown, personally passing out resumes to law firms in the area. If anyone knowns of a law firm in the area that is reputable, please let me know (internet research has its limits).

Stan4: Perhaps your brother knows of a few firms that may be hiring?

While I am in Dallas later this week, I would also like to check out the social scene.
Can anyone recommend some good jazz bars/nightclubs?
Are there any good house/techo clubs? [No, I am not gay, but I am also not a homophobe.]

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by AustinCattaneo

I will be graduating law school (in Ohio) this December, and I need to decide, rather quickly, whether to to move to Dallas. I have read several posts in this forum, as well as several other blogs about Dallas. For those of you living in Dallas, some advice would be greatly appreciated. From what I can tell, the pro/con comparison is as follows:

Pros: It rarely ever snows. Summer sports can be played nearly year-round. Relatively low cost of living. Sprawling, urban metropolis with an excellent variety of culture and nightlife. Among the major U.S. cities in warm climates, Dallas seems like a logical choice. [Yes, I realize I am using vague, boilerplate language that makes me sound like I am simply reciting a visitor's guide.]

Cons: I don't know anyone who lives in Dallas. That alone, presents an intimidating deterrant. Is there too much of an evangelical, republican influence for an aggressive, liberal democrat?

Any thoughts and advice would be extremely helpful.

I would imagine anyone who is aggresive in their political views is probably gonna be disliked by most. It's not a very nice personality trait regardless of which side of the aisle you are on IMHO.

With that said, you can probably find enclaves of aggressively liberal folks wherever you go. They tend to stick together.