Decision - go to D.C. or wait?

I just was notified that I have been taken off the wait-list for a top 50 law school in D.C.

On the other hand, I also have just recently retaken the LSAT and got a high enough score that if I reapply next year, many schools from T20-T50 will be fair game and possibly even some within T20.

D.C. still is horrible as to gun laws and has high crime. No CCW.

I have been saying that guns wouldn't be a primary consideration of law school, but in D.C. where crime is so high, it enters my mind. Not being a permanent resident might even disqualify me to have anything, revolver or otherwise.

I have 24 hours to accept or decline. What would you do if you were me. Wait a year and reapply, or go to D.C. and pray that A) I do not become a victim of a crime and B) That I can get out of D.C. and practice in either Virginia or Penn?

I was not expecting this decision to come up. With the Heller win, you'd think things would be getting better, but I doubt there will be much improvement.

I say go to school. Crime in MOST of DC isn't that bad... SE is another story.

You can also live in Arlington, VA and keep all the guns you want!

Your life should not revolve around guns.

Pick the best school you can excel in and stick to your studies.

Accept their offer. You can always change your mind later.

Just go to skool now.

Even if you wait, you still won't be able to CCW. If you are just worrying about HD, you can get a shotgun even if you can't get a handgun. The mandatory unloaded/locked was a bigger issue for home defense.

Go for it! Live in Arlington.

DC is a may issue area for handgun permits. This may change if they are not real careful how they change their laws in the coming weeks because part of the SC decision is DC MUST issue a carry permit to Heller for carry in his home, but the only permit there is currently on the books is the handgun carry permit for in public too.

If you are going to a law school in DC, then it is likely in NW Washington. Most of NW Washington is not bad for violent crime, but it does happen, just not as much.

As far as residency goes, I see nothing in DC code that requires you to be a resident in order to register a handgun (or any gun for that matter). The sergeant at the firearms registration section is supposed to get back to me on if there is a residency requirement.

You can have residency in more than one state by the way.

Opportunity is knocking. Get off the couch and go to the door!!;)

If you want to go to this particular school, don't let the gun issue scare you away.

I called up a bunch of people including my old pre-law college advisor.

Everybody is telling me that to turn down this school would be a huge mistake, and my brother reminded me of just how bored I am right now.

The law school called a few minutes ago to ask if I am in. I said yes.

Looks like I'm going to D.C. unless I want to forfeit my deposit.

I better get my butt on a plane and figure out where I'm going to live because I only have a few weeks more or less.

Your life should not revolve around guns.

Pick the best school you can excel in and stick to your studies.

+1.

Maybe check the bulletin board at the NRA range to see if someone has an apt to rent?

At least then you know you won't get hassled by the landlord. ;)

Pick the best school.

You could always live in VA as well and commute. Also, don't discount getting a DC driver's license, and then you have an excuse to get a brand new revolver.

Consider this too: maybe while you're in DC, they'll overturn the machinegun ban... how exciting would that be? You'll also be in a better position to attend pro-2A rallies. You are theoretically in a position to meet pro-2A congressmen in person. You'll be within shouting distance to publicly boo the speaker of the house.

It all sounds pretty exciting to me :).

Go to school, period. Get a good education and after you pass the bar, move to a free state.

Go to Law School your timing ought to be just about perfect on being able to transfer a gun into the District. Try working with Federalist Society Lawyers on the permit. They are always willing to help law students & they are usually very successful hiring partner types that will happy to offer you a job next year if they know you and how you worked on through these issues. ;)

Do it :)

parts ofse aren't that bad
i am inthe process of remodeling a small building at 1806 c st 100 yards to metro 825 a month for a 1 bedroom with an enclosed sleeping porch that setrves as second bedroom

I said yes over the phone earlier, but it looks like I'm not going to be able to seal the deal and do it. Verbal contract not binding as per statute of frauds $500 rule anyways.

I'd have only a few weeks to move to D.C., find a place to live, furnish it, do the summer reading, and get started. After talking about it with friends and family, we tend to be thinking that it would be too rushed to be practical.

So, I'll reapply for next year. Oh well. :(

I'll sleep on it and see what I think in the morning.

Go to school. Don't make major life decisions based on guns. I survived 4 years in Baltimore unarmed -- you can survive 3 in DC.

Besides, if you graduate from a top 50 law school maybe you can help change the laws there.

Your school is less than 5 miles from Virginia.

You don't have to LIVE in DC.

Last I checked, law students don't live in dorms on campus.

Live in Northern VA if possible. If not, just stay out of SE/Anacostia.

I would NOT want to go to school in D.C.

Top 50 law schools...Phhhffftttt....

You will be just as successful in your endeavors by attending a school in a nice area as you would by attending one in the urban chaos that is D.C..

Good luck regardless.

Do it, become a resident in that place, and make your voice heard! Good luck and congrats.

Congratulations, .cheese.!

DC is one of the best places to go to school. The learning opportunities outside the classroom are endless. I enjoyed law school and DC without owning a firearm. I designated no parts of the city to be off limits (during the day). I lived in NE near the Capitol building. A lot of staffers live there. I intentionally wanted to live inside DC and not in some upscale Georgetown neighborhood either. Most mornings, I jogged around the mall and sometimes as far as the Washington Monument - a new experience everyday.

A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush... T50 and you can't find the time to get some in some reading and an apartment...

As the old man would have said sh*t or get off the pot..

Go for it, and good luck..

C

Go to DC, they have a good rail transit system, you can ride all over, commute via rail from VA. Better yet aim high, become a DC resident, get your degree and then you be able to fight for your right to buy a handgun there. Just think it could be" .cheese guns and lawyer shop"

I would go with one exception, I would stay in Falls Church, VA. You can take the Metro anywhere and it is relatively cheap.

Go now.

If it's not too late... Go for it. Med and law schools don't always make the same admissions decicions year to year unless they allow you to defer. Rush! You can do it!

If you have spouse, kids, time frame is definitely a pain, but Arlington has tons of apts and the Metro system is great for transportation (not as good as NY).

Pm me- I grew up in NoVa, ugrad at GW.
Best

Unless you're a minority living in a minority neighborhood, your chances of being a victim of violent crime are really quite low, even in DC.

Just stay out of the bad neighborhoods and you should be fine.

Go for it live in Arlington and the commute isn't bad. My wife lived in Arlington and it only took us 7 minutes to get to the Foggy Bottom/Georgetown Metro stop. If you want some insight my wife is a lawyer and works downtown.

PM me if you want and have any questions.

I'd have only a few weeks to move to D.C., find a place to live, furnish it, do the summer reading, and get started. After talking about it with friends and family, we tend to be thinking that it would be too rushed to be practical.It sounds to me like maybe you are looking for an excuse not to go. If you don't want it, don't do it. But don't make excuses for it.

Based on my personal experience, I'd recommend going to the best law school that will accept you. Like it or not, the school at the top of your resume is a significant factor in the hiring decision for a lot of emloyers (though, certainly not all). A better school will generally mean more opportunities.

To keep this gun related, I'd strongly agree with the other posters who've advised to put the gun issue aside and pursue your education. I've never understood the "I won't go if I can't carry" mentality. Personal safety is a layered system, and if you think your are unsafe because you don't have immediate access to the ultimate layer -- you've missed the boat.

I would argue (again based on personal experience) that the situational awareness and potential-threat-management skills which you will necessarily cultivate by riding the subway in DC will go a lot further towards keeping you safe than a shootin' iron in your pants.

Good luck to you!

I say go to school. Crime in MOST of DC isn't that bad... SE is another story.

You can also live in Arlington, VA and keep all the guns you want!

Left that area for a variety of reasons, but for your situation I'd say "sure, go for it".

Definitely agree with the above, live in Arlington (nice enough) or Rosslyn (expensive). Either will give you an easy commute if you find a place near metrorail. (Metrorail will be PACKED but that's another story).

Go to the school. Guns are fun and all, but education is key. It also funds more guns later on.

If the DC school is the best school you can get in and can afford, I would not look back and head for DC for the fall semester. Starting sooner is always better than later. You work for a few years, you loose some of the study skills that are so necessary for success in academics.

Guns can wait until you get out of law school or live in VA and commute.

IMO, the only law school worth paying for in DC is Georgetown. American and George Washington are $$$ as all get out and don't have the national name recognition for what you are doling out, despite whatever "ranking" they may have. Especially if you are thinking about going back to FL.

If you are off the wait list at GW or American, think about reapplying to a bigger pool of schools rather than taking their "offer" today. Six figures of just law school debt is nothing to take on lightly. "Top 50" gives you 48 other choices.

Hey, there's a business opportunity for the NRA. Or for the original poster.

"Gun friendly apartments for D.C. residents, near NRA range." Is there public transport to Fairfax?

Issues related to the logistics of a rapid move to D.C. caused me to have to turn down the offer. There is a high likelihood that I will end up going to the same school - just in one more year.

The loud banging noise that you might hear is me banging my head on the keyboard. http://www.netwerkin.com/noncgi/graemlins/headbang.gif

I will reapply in a few weeks when applications are available again. Been up for 36 hours working on this. Time to crash.

Thanks for the help guys. Btw - Arlington looks like a very nice place to live. Does the Pentagon have public restrooms? I couldn't find out.

Live in VA, ride the metro to school.

Kharn

Ya, live in VA and commute into DC, except -
Is the law school Catholic University of America? That is kinda a long daily commute (nice campus though, if you can afford to live on or nearby). Live near campus and be smart about where you go.

Georgetown is a great school, the area intentionally has no easy metro access (to keep out the riff-raff).

no. It was AU

IMO, the only law school worth paying for in DC is Georgetown. American and George Washington are $$$ as all get out and don't have the national name recognition for what you are doling out, despite whatever "ranking" they may have. Especially if you are thinking about going back to FL.

If you are off the wait list at GW or American, think about reapplying to a bigger pool of schools rather than taking their "offer" today. Six figures of just law school debt is nothing to take on lightly. "Top 50" gives you 48 other choices.

In the courtroom, we may refer to that as hearsay, unsubstantiated evidence or a witness that lacks credibility. I'm glad you had nothing to do with my legal career.

You're wrong about GWU. I went to GWU and receive headhunter calls almost daily. I have no problem finding a job anywhere I wanted to live in the country. My law school education has long since paid for itself. I've been practicing for over eight years. I now run my own law practice in Northern California. All of my buddies (many of whom had poor grades at GWU) are all living comfortably and have little difficulty finding jobs.

The people with big money to hire know about GWU and about how it is ranked Top 20.

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/law/search

By the way, for intellectual property in particular, GWU is generally valued over Georgetown in the legal community.

Waffling is a sure sign you know what to do, so do it and figure out the details along the way.

Take the intervening time to figure out how to get your schooling paid for. There's a lot of college money out there for the taking if you just ask the right people. (Two schools were fighting over who would pay my wife more money - as in above & beyond full tuition - to take their MBA program. She spent a year researching & inquiring until prying that out of the system.)
Rule: NO DEBT.

School!

Cheezster...

DO IT. Otherwise you have a hole in your resume... And something could "come up," and you'll always be wondering what would have happened.

Heck - call up the nice receptionist at the NRA and ask if he/she could put something on the bulletin board about you needing a place to rent...

Live in Virginia or Maryland, check out the metro lines. DC has a first class subway system to get you around. The neighborhoods in N.Virginia however are somewhat better and safer in my view, but also more expensive. I lived in Greenbelt Maryland for years. The Metrorail was not out that far then but I drove most of the time. Hated the beltway.

The distribution of lawyers' incomes is very bimodal. If you go to a top-20 law school and get good grades, you can make maybe $150,000 a year right out of law school. At Harvard or Yale you don't even need the good grades. If you go to a non-top-20 law school and don't get particularly good grades, you'll make maybe $30,000, if you can find work. Hardly anybody is in between. In a way, becoming a lawyer is like becoming a pilot--the senior pilots at the big airlines make a bundle; commuter pilots make very little, and the guy giving flying lessons at the local airport is broke (or has another job, too).

If you really want to be a lawyer, and if you can finance law school without going deeply into debt, that's fine. But if you're looking at law school just because you can't think of anything better to do, or because you think all lawyers make big bucks, you might want to think harder.

Or...

Have enough money to hire a GOOD office manager, and go into business for yourself, doing a niche market, like traffic stuff... Yeah, it's all small stuff, but it adds up... Put up a half-dozen offices around a city, each with its own paralegal watching the door, with the office manager overseeing the paper shuffle. You're the one going to court.

If you look for a place to live outside of DC, do some research on firearms law. Maryland is almost as bad as DC, no ccw for commoners and handguns are to the range and back home with no dinner or fuel detours. Quite a few Maryland politicians and cops love to harass gun owners. Virginia is much closer to being a Free State.