Is Chicago or Washington DC a better place to practice law?

I practice law in DC. I have friends who practice in Chicago. Neither is "better," but each one is different from the other.





Chicago handles more corporate law matters. If you are interested in securities, mergers and acquisitions, and that sort of thing, Chicago is a better bet.





DC law firms are stronger in their regulatory practices, for obvious reasons. They are also better for patent and trademark lawyers. And of course, they get involved in lobbying and trade association work.





If you want to have a practice that is more oriented towards individuals than businesses, it really doesn't matter. There are divorces, adoptions, real estate closings, wills, DUI cases, and employer/employee disputes in both places.





The rest of the equation is lifestyle. Chicago has much colder winters, but it also has real neighborhoods. Washington has an exciting downtown and very nice suburbs, but it lacks Chicago's ethnic diversity. Whether that is a plus or a minus depends on who you are. There are plenty of shows, restaurants and nightlife in both cities. Washington's economy, which still depends a lot on the government, is more stable in these economic times. The recession has hit here, but not like it has in the midwest. Chicago is a better sports city. Although we have teams in all the major pro sports, only the Redskins get the kind of intense loyalty that the Bears, Cubs, White Sox and Bulls do.





In the end, the "better" place is the one where you personally feel more comfortable. Only you can decide that. Good luck, whatever your choice!!




id say chicago, and thats just based on the fact that the population in chicago is much higher than the population in dc. u'd have a much bigger clientele and less competition.




Chicago




DC, unless you're crooked.




DC!