Moving from Virginia/Charlotte NC to Denver, Colorodo - HELP (Lakewood: apartment complexes, renters)

[pretty_smart_4]

Hello All!!!

As stated in the title. I am planning on moving to Colorado by January 2016, if not before then. I have spend most of my life in Virginia (Charlottesville/Lynchburg area) with the exception of the 3 years I spend in Charlotte, NC while in Law school.

I am 25, single, no kids and I have one dog (11 pound shi tzu). I will be looking for a job in the non-profit/public service sector as a legal assistant/paralegal. I have planned on taking the Colorado Bar Exam July 2016. In the meantime, I plan on working a full time job and picking up a part-time if I have to.

For housing, I am looking for an affordable one bedroom/one bathroom apartment. I would like to spend around $700-$1000 per month and have about 750+ square footage. I am not extremely picky about my housing, but I like to feel safe, and I want a place that feels like "home" - so older/run down apartment complexes would be low on my preference list. Any advice on communities to live in? I would like to live around the Denver area because on my few visits to Denver, I found the infrastructure to be similar to Charlotte, NC. I loved the fact it felt like I had been there already because it was so similar to Charlotte (minus the southern/conservative mindset). My Dad's best friend lives in Lakewood, CO which he said was probably more on the expensive side as far as communities surrounding Denver. I would like to live in Denver, or in a community right outside of Denver because I will likely be working in the City.

I consider myself an outgoing introvert. I mostly keep to myself with a few close friends. I love to explore and have advuentures, so I am very excited about all of the scenery and hiking trials around Colorado. I love hiking, yoga, longboarding, concerts, and exploring new places! I consider myself a "flower child" - I love being outdoors in nature and I am a strong believer in "vibes" and "energies". My mother says i'm a Hippy. Haha.

So, after those long blurbs ... I would like to know about anyone's experience about moving across the country alone (although I'll have my doggie). Additionally, for everyone who is already in Colorado, what are some of the best areas to look for housing considering my budget, lifestyle and pricing request? Any suggestions on the Job search would be extremely helpful as well!!! Thanks!!

[davebarnes]

Spend 4 hours reading thru all the recent posts in the Denver forum and you will many answers.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by pretty_smart_4

Hello All!!!

As stated in the title. I am planning on moving to Colorado by January 2016, if not before then. I have spend most of my life in Virginia (Charlottesville/Lynchburg area) with the exception of the 3 years I spend in Charlotte, NC while in Law school.

I am 25, single, no kids and I have one dog (11 pound shi tzu). I will be looking for a job in the non-profit/public service sector as a legal assistant/paralegal. I have planned on taking the Colorado Bar Exam July 2016. In the meantime, I plan on working a full time job and picking up a part-time if I have to.

For housing, I am looking for an affordable one bedroom/one bathroom apartment. I would like to spend around $700-$1000 per month and have about 750+ square footage. I am not extremely picky about my housing, but I like to feel safe, and I want a place that feels like "home" - so older/run down apartment complexes would be low on my preference list. Any advice on communities to live in? I would like to live around the Denver area because on my few visits to Denver, I found the infrastructure to be similar to Charlotte, NC. I loved the fact it felt like I had been there already because it was so similar to Charlotte (minus the southern/conservative mindset). My Dad's best friend lives in Lakewood, CO which he said was probably more on the expensive side as far as communities surrounding Denver. I would like to live in Denver, or in a community right outside of Denver because I will likely be working in the City.

I consider myself an outgoing introvert. I mostly keep to myself with a few close friends. I love to explore and have advuentures, so I am very excited about all of the scenery and hiking trials around Colorado. I love hiking, yoga, longboarding, concerts, and exploring new places! I consider myself a "flower child" - I love being outdoors in nature and I am a strong believer in "vibes" and "energies". My mother says i'm a Hippy. Haha.

So, after those long blurbs ... I would like to know about anyone's experience about moving across the country alone (although I'll have my doggie). Additionally, for everyone who is already in Colorado, what are some of the best areas to look for housing considering my budget, lifestyle and pricing request? Any suggestions on the Job search would be extremely helpful as well!!! Thanks!!

Have thusly moved your post to the Denver forum, where the vast majority of jobs in this state are to be found.

Your rent budget may be a bit low as the city is experiencing quite a boom in new arrivals these days.

[NW Crow]

If you want a new / newer apartment in a safer neighborhood in Denver itself, you are likely to be at top end of your budget. You might get less square footage or have to pay a bit more for the requested size. As for neighborhoods, a visit will help clarify but you might look at Uptown, Cheesman Park, maybe Lo-Hi. Good luck.

[Suzatlarge]

I know a bit about legal staffing in Denver, and here's what I think. (NOTE: I'm sure there are exceptions to everything, and I've been known to be wrong, so feel free to disregard any or all of what I write here if it gets your shorts in a knot.)

First, if you want to get a job as a paralegal or legal assistant, be sure you are qualified for that work, and better yet, experienced in that work.

You'd be amazed at how many people who have never worked in an office (law office or any other kind of office) as a secretary or assistant, or as a paralegal, assume that because they have been to law school, they're automatically in contention for a legal assistant or paralegal job.

Next, sources of job info. You probably know them, but they include Craigslist, Monster, and Indeed. There's also the Colorado Bar Association.

Also, if you have good skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word and Outlook, and relevant office experience, you should check into the Denver area agencies who provide temp/contract staffing to law offices. If you don't have those skills and experience, you have slim chance of landing a paralegal or legal assistant job anyway, unless it's an entry level job at something like $12 an hour - and if you look at the Craigslist ads regularly you WILL see those jobs at about that pay.

I'm not sure how many legal assistant or paralegal jobs there are "the non-profit/public service sector" in the Denver area. You should investigate state and local government websites for their available jobs and note the hiring process. I believe that, for example, the State of Colorado and the City and County of Denver have a competitive exam-based system (civil service) for those jobs. You should identify any nonprofit organizations in this area that you're interested in, and find out from them directly whether they have any paralegal or legal assistant positions on staff, and if there are any openings.

Denver's a magnet for young, educated people, and you'll have lots of competition for a good job, even one that you apparently intend to use as an interim job until you pass the Colorado bar. There are lots of JDs in town who hope to land a "paralegal" or "legal assistant" job while they study for the bar, so you'll have plenty of company.

Oh, and BTW, I believe that a lot of short-term entry-level paralegal type work is being done all the time around here - free of charge to the employers, by paralegal school students doing internships.

[JohnnyDenver]

You are going to have a difficult time obtaining a paralegal position once they discover your ultimate goal is to practice law. That being said, I would check Craig`s List for contract work as a law clerk at a law firm. They would understand your situation and more importantly, you would start to gain knowledge of Colorado law which is a greater positive than paralegal work.

You should also know that more and more applicants are taking the Colorado bar exam. Consequently, entry-level attorney jobs are sparse for those moving here without a job offer.
The Colorado PDs office does hire a good number of entry level attorneys each year but they give preference to those who clerked there during school.

I would discourage opening a solo practice, especially without any knowledge of Colorado law and procedure. The regulatory environment illsutrates that the greatest number of censures, suspensions and disbarrments are levied against solo attorneys.

[Suzatlarge]

^^Great advice if you're serious about wanting to be a lawyer.

My comments were intended as a reality check on "I want to work as a paralegal/legal assistant while studying for the bar."

Reality: a JD is a liability for applicants for those jobs. It can be overcome if the applicant has the skills and experience directly related to the paralegal/legal assistant job.

As noted, for your long term career development, you're better off finding a law clerk job. I agree with JohnnyDenver that Denver's saturated with JDs - licensed and not. And now, housing here has rocketed up in price - for renters and home buyers. If you're harboring a dream that you'll slip into Denver, land a great paralegal job at some planet-saving good-karma nonprofit which will pay the rent on a nice little apartment with a mountain view, while you study for the bar? Keep doing your homework on how to make it happen, and decide what parts of the dream are the most important to realize vs. what you can give up.

I moved here 35+ years ago, with my new JD in hand and a firm job offer (of course, I did have to pass the Colorado bar exam). I had enough money to rent a one bedroom apartment and live on for a few months while taking the bar review course and the bar exam. Because I *had* six years' experience working as a legal assistant, I was able to sign up with an agency and work a few temp jobs - some secretarial, others were law clerk work - while waiting for the bar results. I was lucky enough to pass the bar on my first try, and get right to work. In fact, I drove straight from the swearing-in ceremony to the courthouse, where I appeared in a case right after lunch.

Yes, that was all long ago, when dinosaurs roamed and dirt was young. But note: I had a firm job offer before I moved to Colorado. Just saying. And back then Denver housing/rental costs weren't obscenely high (they're almost there now), and it wasn't over-saturated with JDs (it is now).

[Suzatlarge]

Hmm. Our "outgoing introvert" OP hasn't been back yet. Maybe our vibes and energy aren't right.