Single Parent at American University

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see one post that suggests it's impossible and OP should absolutely not do it! Just stay down south and forget her dreams of law school and American U!

Are we reading the same thread?

I know, I'm reading a thread where the very first reply starts off like this:

My, I wished you'd thought that one through much more before making the decision to move into DC with children and no support system in place (an assumption given that you're asking strangers on a msg board for advice on housing).

And yet, I got accused of being the first person to post anything negative.

-- The mom who posted the Field of Bethesda the first two times it came up.

You shouldn't take words out of context. Placed in its entire context-and even extracted and isolated as you've done in your post--those words basically mean "Difficult but doable". I wish you'd thought that through before making a decision to move to DC with children and no support system in place=sound advice.

Sure we can all cheer "Good for you! You go girl! Here are some addresses" but the reality is that DC is a very tough place to live, particularly with small children. The schools are some of the worst in the nation and so are the crime rates. Add to that the weight of law school and trying to do it alone. OP needs to have some real facts before making that move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you borrowing money to live on and to pay law school tuition at American University? That law degree is not worth anywhere near its sticker price. The DC job market is absolutely saturated with unemployed and underemployed lawyers from much better schools. Not trying to be a jerk, but I'm really hoping you got a full ride b/c otherwise: not worth it AT ALL.

I hate to be a Killjoy, but this is true. There are no legal jobs for AU grads. Even us harvard types are having a hard time getting back in. Wasn't AU the law school that recently got into trouble for "hiring" back its law grads in its admissions office to inflate the number of its claimed graduates who were "employed"?. Or was that G.W? Anyhow, OP, I hate to tell you this, but law is really at a dead end right now. You would be much better off getting an entry level job with the federal government or some institution where you could work your way up through a hierarchy. Then you would also have an income. there are so many unemployed lawyers with $200K in school loans hanging on them. With kids, you just need to make a more realistic choice and get a solid job in an industry with upward mobility (if you can find that).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you borrowing money to live on and to pay law school tuition at American University? That law degree is not worth anywhere near its sticker price. The DC job market is absolutely saturated with unemployed and underemployed lawyers from much better schools. Not trying to be a jerk, but I'm really hoping you got a full ride b/c otherwise: not worth it AT ALL.

I hate to be a Killjoy, but this is true. There are no legal jobs for AU grads. Even us harvard types are having a hard time getting back in. Wasn't AU the law school that recently got into trouble for "hiring" back its law grads in its admissions office to inflate the number of its claimed graduates who were "employed"?. Or was that G.W? Anyhow, OP, I hate to tell you this, but law is really at a dead end right now. You would be much better off getting an entry level job with the federal government or some institution where you could work your way up through a hierarchy. Then you would also have an income. there are so many unemployed lawyers with $200K in school loans hanging on them. With kids, you just need to make a more realistic choice and get a solid job in an industry with upward mobility (if you can find that).

I think it's doable. And I don't think OP should abandon her dreams of law school if that's what she really wants to do. If that's a lifelong dream/passion of hers, it will work out for her. (However, I do advise her to think about the logistics of relocating to AU now with small kids).

Furthermore, I don't understand the argument about unemployed attorneys. DC is teeming with employed attorneys. Heck, every single state in the nation is. It's a profession that will never go out of style. There are so many different types of lawyers I'm sure OP will be able to get a job somewhere, even if it's not in DC. It's one of those professions where in the worst case scenario, she can hang a sign on her porch and put her degree to use.

And perhaps those Harvard types don't have the social skills or likability to get the jobs. OP may be able to do a much better job of networking than the droves of unemployed attorneys you know of.