The Sooo Uninterested in BIGLAW Club (with bi-weekly caucus)

[stricly bricly]

i know there are some of us around here.  join up if you'd rather chew your arm off than submit to the BIGLAW machine, man.

why aren't you bothering?  what are your not-BIG plans for the future? 

[Outlaw22]

oooo me me me.

[1rakayla]

Thats me!!

[I am Penny Lane]

I work in a small law office now, and I love the vibe. I've had good experiences with small companies, and the reduction in pay is worth the happiness.

[Outlaw22]

I am really worried about paying off loans. I almost feel as if I need to commit 100% to public interest now in hopes of a PI scholarship $/ new loan repayment/forgiveness policies or I'll be in debt forever.

Can someone please tell me a middle ground exisits?

[mbw]

I'm in.  Besides, what BigLaw besides Holland and Knight would take a Federal Indian Law specialist?  (If H&K is even considered big law.)

If I can't get an academic job, my dream job would be working for CREW.

[gclemen1]

I will join this club.  I would like to be a prosecutor for some time, and eventually become a superior court judge.  But biglaw might be a neccesary evil for a few years if the loans rack up too much :-(

[jdr145]

yayyy I am fully supportive of this

[GunnerDore]

My ultimate best dream job ever would be to get hired by Arsenal as corporate counsel (or solicitor as they say across the pond), but that's a long shot and an English LL.M. degree away in all likelihood.

I'm hoping to get hired by a scientific research firm as an in-house IP lawyer, actually. Failing that, I'd probably work for the USPTO.

[mbw]

I am really worried about paying off loans. I almost feel as if I need to commit 100% to public interest now in hopes of a PI scholarship $/ new loan repayment/forgiveness policies or I'll be in debt forever.

Can someone please tell me a middle ground exists?

I'm slightly freaked about this too.  I'll never qualify for LRAP programs, as the spouse's income is too high, and I'm sure that will effect need-based scholarships as well.  Being saddled with $120K of debt at 47 (when spouse is 59) definitely doesn't hold much appeal either.  So I figure if I don't get into Berkeley or Michigan next year, I'll reconsider going to a lower tier 1 school with $$$s.