Dear Fall 1L Me,

That's why the first question about any practice is "Where?" You see that the choice to practice in New York City introduces a cascading series of consequences that fundamentally affect everything else. You could choose to establish the practice you want in many other parts of the US much more easily. Perhaps that's part of the invitation to think through. In other respects, the sort of academic program and network building you should do in law school is pretty clearly indicated. But "Where" brings with it "With Whom?" and "How much," and therefore remains central to the planning of your practice.