How hard is it to find work in Austin right now?

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Originally Posted by mlassoff

A JD doesn't do much good unless you've been admitted to the Texas bar. Have you?

Austin is a city flooded with lawyers. I know a couple of laywers who barely make ends meet. The UT law school graduates new lawyers every year and the old ones never seem to die. Of course, I think there is a glut of lawyers nationwide and unless you graduated from a top school or you are a very good self-promoter it's going to be tough-- But Austin is among the toughest.

My solution for you-- move.

My advice? Really, outside of DC, Chicago, NYC, SF Bay area, LA, DFW, Houston, Boston, Philly, Atlanta, and 2/3 I might be missing, where else can you thrive with an expensive law/business degree?...All the top firms are in those cities, most of them in NYC, Chicago, DC and LA/SF.....that leaves out the 300 or so other metros........generally, the smaller/more off the grid a metro is, the less chance one has for advancement, or even employment, with a high profile degree, which 98% of folks get BECAUSE of its lucrative potantial.......other professions, such as teaching, can be tamped down money wise, but not law and such, unless one is willing to make FAR less than what one expected.....and few are willing to tamp those expectations down, even expecting them to be filled in off the grid regional cities like Austin....Austin still is a sacrifice for some....and simply said, not everyone is willing/able to take that hit...

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by CaraSusanKelly

Move? Thanks, that's really helpful. Actually, I'm a former attorney. We moved to Austin so that I could try a different career, a bit less pressure, rather than my former 90+hour weeks in New York working for attorneys more miserable than I was. My husband has a college degree and years of experience and is not even getting interviews.
Rather than move I have been thinking of starting my own business. But thanks for your suggestion.

Sounds like a great idea. Austin is pretty business friendly, in a state that is very business friendly. Lots of small businesses here, many doing well. Set up an appointment at the local SCORE office (Bee Caves Rd) and discuss your plans. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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Originally Posted by atxcio

Sounds like a great idea. Austin is pretty business friendly, in a state that is very business friendly. Lots of small businesses here, many doing well. Set up an appointment at the local SCORE office (Bee Caves Rd) and discuss your plans. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Good point..I think in Austin you have to think"out of the box" more than other metros...rather than thinking about what firm you can work for, think about what YOU can contribute that is unique, something that you can "take on the road" and "hang up a shingle" with....the tax and biz environment is certainly conducive to such......the prob is when you relo to Austin with the "what firm will I work for" quest....Austin is far more a pull yourself up by own bootstraps place, not unlike Texas in general....a great place for those looking to get away from the stifling corp ladder and do their own thing.......