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im from chicago, live in the suburbs currently, and go to the university of illinois. I am going to graduate in a couple months and plan on entering law school in the fall of 2008, meaning i will apply in fall 07. I hate cold weather and want to go to law school somewhere warm and with a good job market, especially for lawyers obviously. Im open to pretty much anywhere in the US, and have been lookin at San Deigo, LA, and Miami. Miami appeals to me because the U of M is the best law school in the area and the bigger firms in Miami start at 115K. However, reading some of the posts on here, it seems as if Miami is not a place where I would want to be. What do you all think?
It depends on what you like. If you hate cold weather it is the right place as the weather is the best on the US mainland IMO and with a lawyers salary you will be able to "afford" to enjoy the area. I guess the question is what you will be able to "afford" while you are in school.
I think that this is a personal choice that only you can make for yourself. Our experiences that you read on all of these threads, are our experiences. I am trying to give my experiences to those who are thinking about moving to Miami, just like others on here are doing. Obviously not everyone here in Miami may feel the same way as I do, but many anglos do feel the same way. That said though, if you are an anglo American I would truely suggest you really think long and hard before making the move here. Of the three cities, Miami would be the last choice (not based on the law school), IMO. You need to weight the options of the three cities and schools, and see which is a better choice for your career and lifestyle wise. Good luck!
My wife and I are about to do the opposite route: we are moving from Miami to Chicago. Really we are so frustrated with Miami that we are counting the days (10)!! We've been in Chicago many times and we love it, yes the weather in winter is brutal but you got so much there that the list would be too long. On the contrary here you have only the weather...nothing else! The job market is good for lawyers as in any other big city in the country, but you better learn a perfect spanish because at least 2/3 of your clients will be spanish speaking, of which more than 1/2 won't speak a word of english. If you're escaping from the cold, I'd choose San Diego, a real cosmopolitan big city, fine and where people is well educated, with culture and tons of things to do. At the end of the day, yes CA is expensive but in San Diego you will have the weather/beaches + all the perks of a real cosmopolitan and efficient big city. Miami only the weather...and pray when it is hurricane season!!
Anyways, good luck with you...I'm taking your spot in Chicago!!
Choose another city. I don't think you will do very well unless you can speak and write fluent Spanish. It's not a great place. Out of all the places in the USA I would say Miami is the one I like the least. You will probably will not be able to work down there unless you can write and speak fluent Spanish. Doesn't mean you can't make a good living down there, but you would do better in Boca Raton. I like it there. They have money, too! Miami has a lot of poor people. Boca has a lot of rich, and you don't need to speak any Spanish to fit it. If you do to Miami you will be going to a college in a third world town.
Let me ask you this? Do the bigger firms require you to be bilingual? Most jobs down there (not all) require you to be bilingual. If you can write and speak fluent Spanish you will fit right in. (Actually, if you don't even speak English you will do well.) However, I do have friends who are lawyers, and I haven't found any that I know of that started off with that salary you mentioned. I do have a very good friend who is a divorce lawyer. She lives in Boca.
Put it to you this way. You want to be a lawyer? You better watch your car. Ha! When I went to Hialeah to go shopping people were staring at my vette like it was a car from outer space. Nobody had any money...so when they saw a Corvette, everybody was tripping out. They were staring at me in the car and looking at me. I couldn't stand it. I felt like I was Mexico. Many people have homes that have bars on their windows. That should tell you just how safe it is down there huh? In Boca you will find vettes, Jaguars, Benz's and many exotic cars in most all parking lots and you don't have to worry about your car getting stolen. Yeah, and you will not find bars on the windows in any home in Boca! LOL...just wait till you go down there.
Oh, I know of two people who are ready to take their bar exam. They are planning on getting married, but even they can't afford a single family home down here. They just bought a modest townhome, and they are eventually planning on buying a single family home at least 5 years down the road. Most people just cannot afford the housing down here. If you don't mind living in a very small house or townhouse till you establish your career. If you are just starting out a 115,000k a year (which honestly I never heard of that for a lawyer just starting out) you will would be borderline for qualifying for a small median sized home in Miami. Unless you can put down a huge downpayment. I have a 1,600 square foot home. I just had my house appraised for $419K. I don't live near the beach, don't have a pool, and I live on a zero lot line. You probably would need to make a minimum of $115k just to qualify for a loan for a small median sized house. Do you know how small my house is? And you can look forward to a least a 1K extra a month just for property taxes and insurance on a tiny median sized house. You can get a much bigger house in Chicago. My next door neighbor is moving back there. She closes tomorrow.
You would need at least 12 to 15k a year just in property taxes and insurance on a home very small home. Can you imagine at your age if you put at least 10K into a retirement fund instead? If you really have a lot of money, and your parents and fund this move to Miami, that's great. But, if it was me...there would be no way I would give 15k a year toward property taxes and insurance. If you sit down with a financial advisor you could be a millionaire in so many years if you invested most of that into a retirment account.
Last edited by Angelrocks; 03-22-2007 at 10:28 PM..
Choose another city. I don't think you will do very well unless you can speak and write fluent Spanish. It's not a great place. Out of all the places in the USA I would say Miami is the one I like the least. You will probably will not be able to work down there unless you can write and speak fluent Spanish. Doesn't mean you can't make a good living down there, but you would do better in Boca Raton. I like it there. They have money, too! Miami has a lot of poor people. Boca has a lot of rich, and you don't need to speak any Spanish to fit it. If you do to Miami you will be going to a college in a third world town.
Let me ask you this? Do the bigger firms require you to be bilingual? Most jobs down there (not all) require you to be bilingual. If you can write and speak fluent Spanish you will fit right in. (Actually, if you don't even speak English you will do well.) However, I do have friends who are lawyers, and I haven't found any that I know of that started off with that salary you mentioned. I do have a very good friend who is a divorce lawyer. She lives in Boca.
Put it to you this way. You want to be a lawyer? You better watch your car. Ha! When I went to Hialeah to go shopping people were staring at my vette like it was a car from outer space. Nobody had any money...so when they saw a Corvette, everybody was tripping out. They were staring at me in the car and looking at me. I couldn't stand it. I felt like I was Mexico. Many people have homes that have bars on their windows. That should tell you just how safe it is down there huh? In Boca you will find vettes, Jaguars, Benz's and many exotic cars in most all parking lots and you don't have to worry about your car getting stolen. Yeah, and you will not find bars on the windows in any home in Boca! LOL...just wait till you go down there.
Oh, I know of two people who are ready to take their bar exam. They are planning on getting married, but even they can't afford a single family home down here. They just bought a modest townhome, and they are eventually planning on buying a single family home at least 5 years down the road. Most people just cannot afford the housing down here. If you don't mind living in a very small house or townhouse till you establish your career. If you are just starting out a 115,000k a year (which honestly I never heard of that for a lawyer just starting out) you will would be borderline for qualifying for a small median sized home in Miami. Unless you can put down a huge downpayment. I have a 1,600 square foot home. I just had my house appraised for $419K. I don't live near the beach, don't have a pool, and I live on a zero lot line. You probably would need to make a minimum of $115k just to qualify for a loan for a small median sized house. Do you know how small my house is? And you can look forward to a least a 1K extra a month just for property taxes and insurance on a tiny median sized house. You can get a much bigger house in Chicago. My next door neighbor is moving back there. She closes tomorrow.
You would need at least 12 to 15k a year just in property taxes and insurance on a home very small home. Can you imagine at your age if you put at least 10K into a retirement fund instead? If you really have a lot of money, and your parents and fund this move to Miami, that's great. But, if it was me...there would be no way I would give 15k a year toward property taxes and insurance. If you sit down with a financial advisor you could be a millionaire in so many years if you invested most of that into a retirment account.
i know spanish semi proficiently, definitely not fluent in it tho. and lawyers at the Biglaw firms in Miami usually start at around 115k up to 145k. About the nice car in the bad neighborhood tho, isn't it possible to just avoid those areas, like in other cities? For example, South Side Chi and East Side Compton/Watts in LA are places you should avoid in general. Is Miami different in terms of neighborhoods that are bad? And about the housing situation, isn't it the same in any large city in Cali, NY, or in Chicago?
i know spanish semi proficiently, definitely not fluent in it tho. and lawyers at the Biglaw firms in Miami usually start at around 115k up to 145k. About the nice car in the bad neighborhood tho, isn't it possible to just avoid those areas, like in other cities? For example, South Side Chi and East Side Compton/Watts in LA are places you should avoid in general. Is Miami different in terms of neighborhoods that are bad? And about the housing situation, isn't it the same in any large city in Cali, NY, or in Chicago?
It is very difficult to avoid those neighborhoods because Miami is like a giant ghetto, even in the most exclusive neighborhoods you will find a large ghetto side adjecent to the rich part!! Take for example three of the most exclusive areas in Miami: Coral Gables, Brickell Avenue, South Beach...one block off and you are in hell and it's still the same 'hood!!! Impossible to avoid!!
As for the housing I beleive that yes maybe CA and NY (as in Manhattan) the home prices are higher (Chicago is cheaper than Miami though!!) but what really kills you here are the property taxes and the homeowner insurance, that combined for an avarage 1600 sq.ft home you can pay up to 12K or 15K...imagine just a bigger home!!
As I understand it in California the taxes are cheaper, only 1% of property purchase price. This is adjusted for inflation but there is never a reassessment based on speculation. If this is true it's no wonder California prices are higher. I met a foolish family who moved to Florida from San Bernadino. They were dumb enough to pay 400,000 for a tiny tract home in Westwood Lakes. They tax bill of almost 8,000.00 shocked them! Oh yes and his pay was fine till the company changed management, now he makes 20% less. Miami is also crawling with lawyers, but in my opinion the majority of them are worthless ambulance chasers. Just be careful before you go from the shaker into the broiler.
Miami sounds like a good fit for you. LA I wouldn't recommend personally.
I would also seriously consider San Fran and San Diego. I guess it depends on your personality. San Diego and San Fran are more laid back. Miami is glitzier and flashier. It doesn't get much better than San Diego weather.
I think some posters really have an ax to grind with Miami. Plus how is being bilingual a bad thing? It can only help advance you in almost any career. More clients = more money.
People are a really ignorant on here sometimes. Yes there is a substantial lower class Hispanic population, but there are also a lot of middle class and upper class Latinos in Miami that are second and third generation Hispanic-Americans and they know English! Jeez, just because there are a lot of Hispanics around doesn't mean that they ALL don't speak English.
Last edited by NooYowkur81; 03-23-2007 at 11:21 AM..
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