Second from Canada!

SECOND city moron

Please remove the stupid dealbreaker ad.

I'd do her. But I'd make sure to wrap that shit; she seems like she'd be expensive to be stuck with.

Check out this Onion article, "Area man thinks he was fired because of recession" - it sounds a lot like you people who say you were fired in "stealth layoffs."

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/area_man_thinks_he_was?utm_source=a-section

ew

I'm in a similar predicament. It sucks to know that right now I'm worth more dead than alive.

"There was an expensive graduation trip to Costa Rica. Then she signed on for an unpaid internship and a part-time job after law school, bridging the gap between her income and expenses with credit cards that added $7,000 in debt."

Like the crosses on Mt. Calvary...

Elie,

Just because I didn't move to a windowless apartment and eat out of Spam cans does not mean I cannot judge her. I didn't live as lavishly as her either. And I have a higher paying job. She made bad decisions. I'm not going to mock her but it's an article full of bad decisions.

Why does some dude in glasses keep feeding Lat grapes in the Dealbreaker ad?

Love the West Wing reference...

I know a good street corner where she can start earning extra cash.

# J.D., University of San Diego School of Law
# B.A. (International Studies), Loyola University of Chicago

lol

http://www.ksnlaw.com/attorneys/AukseS.Rimas.html

what about student loans/

http://www.blackbooklegal.com

First to say that, based on her picture, selling her body is not an option.

It looks like she has been trying to raise money by standing in a booth at a county fair and allowing people to punch her in the nose for $1 a shot.

Time to lose the cat.

Hate to ask an obvious question here but I didn't see it answered anywhere - if she has a B.A. in international studies from Loyola, why doesn't she get a job prosecuting war criminals at the Hague? Or she could defend war criminals which would be even more lucrative.

I want to hear more about the problems she had with her pussy.

pussy means cat.

10, +1

Elie's comment was stupid, there is a huge difference between being as miserly as possible and spending as carefree and foolish as this woman appears to have spent.

She made some bad financial decisions. I had six-figure educational debt when I graduated law school and a 70K/year job in NYC. I managed to move into a studio apartment and furnish it, meet friends for dinner a few times a month, take modest vacations, and even buy myself some nice suits and totally useless fun stuff without incurring debt and continuously paying off my loans. The reason she can't is because she didn't bother to make a reasonable budget before she graduated. Had she done so, she would have realized that during her time living at home she could have saved up a nice amount and paid down her credit card debt and also not incurred new debt. Does she even have a few months living expenses in an account just in case she gets laid off?

$6k on pussy?

How is spending money on other people a defense to financial irresponsibility? If I took out a home equity loan and gave it to charity, would that be a defense to not paying it back?

The advice I am about to offer are not words of sage but merely an utterance of common sense. Ever hear the adage "Live within your means?" When I became a lawyer in 1967, I didn't buy a house, fancy car, yatch, $60,000.00 membership to a country club right away. It took years of hard work to acquire these material items. The problem today is that we have a generation that screams "self-entitlement." Young lawyers want to live extravagant lifestyles and start spending all their money towards acquiring an appearance that they have somehow "made it." Don't fool yourselves. If you are really smart, know the hard cold facts about the legal business. Only about 5% of practicing attorneys are true millionaires. That means most of you, and I don't care what school you went to, what your gpa was, what journal you were on, or who you had to perform felatio on, won't make the cut. So then why put yourself in a financial hole early in your career? I waited 5 years into my partnership to acquire properties in Scottsdale, Arizona and Coral Gables, Florida. I drove a 1984 i635 BMW for 20 years even though I could afford a Maybach. Sometimes we have to be frugal and modest to make it through hard patches in life. So my advice to the young lawyers is, live modestly, don't pretend to be someone you are not (i.e., wealthy) unless you have the wallet or bank account to support it.

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I wish the dealbreaker ad was a video of Lat hastily throwing slabs of raw meat at Mystal instead of Lat being fed grapes.

She should get a part time job at Red Ass Lobster as a waitress with a nametag that says "Kash" on it.

Captain Workhard are you also Major Retard? Because your question is fucking stupid. It's like you're the retarded person who doesn't know he's retarded, so he's perfectly happy.

the firms laying off first years need to sack up and pay off their student loans

I get the criticism of her spending habits, but there is no need for people to trash her looks, etc. Show some class.

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Has anyone seen Captain Workhard's baseball?

with all that money, she could have got CAT HANDS!!

http://amp.utdallas.edu/?storyid=1031

For a lame ATL shtick, Partner Emeritus sure makes some good points and gives great advice.

Live within your means, people. You can spend $1,000,000 a month if you want. Just make sure you have it in the bank first.

Second the suggestion to shut up and get a job at Redass Lobster.

I like Partner Emiritus. Keep posting please.

Hey 14,

You're next.

I went to a tier four law school, got a job in NYC with a V-15 firm making $160,000. My total debt from law school=$45,000. And now the name /prestige of your law school means shit in this economy. Good luck with your debt. At least you have a fancy piece of paper to hang on the wall to make you feel better about yourself.

29- it's not a stupid question. Yes you usually need a law degree from American University to prosecute/defend war criminals, but the combo of Loyola Intl. Studies + USD law degree could probably get her such a job even in this economy. I didn't get in to American (my first choice), but I went to Maryland because it was close to DC, which I knew would help get my foot in the door. Don't be so closed-minded, you don't have to be an American U. Law graduate to make a lucrative living at the Hague.

No job is worth $226K in debt. I started with $60something and still plotz when I see I have $42 left.

She looks like a Sesame Street character.

LOL @ the $6K cat. My car isn't worth that much, and unlike a cat, I can't just pick up a new one for free at the animal shelter anytime I want. Which, in the case of a cat, would be never.

But then again, I'm solvent, so what do I know?

I know Eastern European women and they do NOT look like a cross between an oriental and a boxer whose had his nose repeatedly punched in to the back of their skull.

ty 39 you stupid bitch

Jesus. $6,000 for a hospital bill for a CAT?!?!? How much does a new cat cost? I mean . . . really. Granted, I'm no cat person, but this charge is just insane.

I am, however, a dog person. If I had the choice between spending $6k to fix a broken dog or $600 for a new one . . . it's not really a choice. The most I'd spend to fix a broken dog is about 2X the cost of a new one.

Maybe I'm not really a dog person either.

39 is so right. This is hilarious to see all the Tierists breaking out in hives and shitting their pants as they are slaughtered one by one. Karma is so fucking funny.

To all those who have slammed lower tier grads,

We are employed. We are paying our student loans, Our careers are not stalled. We don't have gaps in our resumes. Enjoy your lambskins, they are all you will have left when Obama gets through with you.

We just printed a trillion dollars. Her debt will be hyperinflated away within the next five years. She should skip payments, use that money purchase assault rifles and beans, and hide in the woods. We all should.

I'm all for living within your means and being financially responsible, but honestly, when you're talking about $250k in debt, what's another ten grand? Obviously, if you keep increasing your debt like she seems to have done, that's simply foolish. But a single addition of $10k to get set up in an apartment, buy some work clothes, and go on a bar trip is simply chump change when you're already on the hook for a quarter of a million dollars.

Dear 26,

I hope you're not serious. But if you are, please talk to someone about this!! I know what it's like to get laid off; it really does suck, and I can entirely relate to your despair. But you can rebuild, even if you're just a first year. (Especially if you're just a first year! You're still young; you have time!)

The great thing about a girl/girl gig is we actually bill TRIPLE! Take care of those loans in no time! Gimmie a ring Aukse!

Chris Parnell has the solution!!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/1389/saturday-night-live-dont-buy-stuff#s-p1-st-i0

$6,000 for cat repairs? I have a cheaper solution. It involves a shovel, $100, and a trip to the shelter for a new cat. It's cheap, quick, and humane if done right. This country needs to bring back a little farm wisdom. Love animals, enjoy animals (sheep joke goes here), don't be cruel to animals, but when it's time for them to go, it's time for them to go. They don't deserve human-level health care.

And you boys making jokes about this girl's looks need to watch less porn. You'd all be lucky to have a girl this cute come over to your basement apartment at mom's house.

Farm Boy, Esq.

49,

That's how you end up under a mountain of debt. Or, for that matter, how you get fat. What's another $500? What's another slice of cake? What's another [thing that adds up].

You've got to start somewhere, or the problem will never get better.

-35

I agree with 4, the Dealbreaker.com ad is retarded. Can we punch both of those dirty hipsters?

Dear 26 - I just heard you were adopted.

I know Eastern European women and they do NOT look like a cross between an oriental and a boxer whose had his nose repeatedly punched in to the back of their skull.

@Professor Emeritus -- "words of sage"?? Would you be meaning "sage words" or "words of wisdom"? Also, learn to spell Y-A-C-H-T (not yatch). Oh, and fellatio has two ells.

Rima is ugly. That's the root of the problem. No amount of retail therapy is going to resolve her self-esteem issues.

Elie, let's have a look at YOUR FINANCES! Chicago ain't the only place that offers a deep-fried twinkie... you're not fooling anyone.

Seriously though, she hasn't started to pay off her loans even though she made > $50K and lived at home? "But she is losing sleep over what the recession-wracked economy could do to her." Her situation has NOTHING to do with the economy. Just [law firm gimps' favorite diss=] bad judgment.

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I tried being a balla and now reality has set in. How is this even news?

P.S. to 26 from 50 -

I'm not saying that rebuilding is easy. I had some pretty miserable years after my lay-off. But people throughout history have come back from worse things than this. Just put one foot in front of the other, do the best you can, and things will eventually work out in some sort of reasonable way. I promise.

And your grandkids will thank you some day for not thinking any more about killing yourself!

Any if anyone else in this thread gives me grief for writing this, go @#$@ yourself.

Comment removed by moderator.

48 is dead-on

54 - obviously, hence my "single additional loan" comment. There's a difference between continually doing [thing that adds up] and doing [thing that adds up] only once.

A single slice of cake isn't going to make anyone fat, and a single addition of $10k to $250k in debt isn't going to materially change anyone's financial situation. If someone doesn't have the self control to stop after one time, that's his problem.

For example, I know a lot of 3Ls who will be taking out additional loans to cover bar prep/relocation/etc. Those one-time additional loans simply won't change their financial condition, and they're arguably necessary for some of them do take BarBri or even the actual exam. That type of behavior isn't irresponsible, and it won't snowball into a (bigger) mountain of debt unless they choose to make that happen.

The Emeritus old partner character is stupid.

I liked the "conjoined twins" bit more. More of that inspiring insight would help in these tough times.

-Fan of the conjoined twins

I thought Elliot Spitzer was the only one who still spent $6000 on pussy in this economy

This comment is addressed to post no. 46. It is very clear that you lack compassion as a human being. I am a proud owner of two Afghan Hounds that I am very attached to. These dogs have brought a smile or two to my face over the years. I consider them like my children. I have spent more money on the care of these lovely canines over the years than the $6,000.00 incomming summer associates are complaining about not getting for the summer program reduction. I will gladly provide for these dogs as long as they are alive and will never consider the replacement option, even if it is cheaper. Over the years I grew attached to one or two associates that I could have easily replaced for cheaper and younger labor. I spared them because I have compassion and I can connect to another human being above the level of profit motive. You should do some serious self-examination and re-discover the heart that you lost in that commode you call a soul.

I think she is good looking. In fact, I am now getting horny.

UVA2L

67 = winner.

54 - obviously, hence my "single additional loan" comment. There's a difference between continually doing [thing that adds up] and doing [thing that adds up] only once.

A single slice of cake isn't going to make anyone fat, and a single addition of $10k to $250k in debt isn't going to materially change anyone's financial situation. If someone doesn't have the self control to stop after one time, that's his problem.

For example, I know a lot of 3Ls who will be taking out additional loans to cover bar prep/relocation/etc. Those one-time additional loans simply won't change their financial condition, and they're arguably necessary for some of them do take BarBri or even the actual exam. That type of behavior isn't irresponsible, and it won't snowball into a (bigger) mountain of debt unless they choose to make that happen.

I really hate the postings that reference suicide.

Suicide is NOT A JOKE. Please, please, please get help -- both if you are suicidal or you think it is funny to make fun of those people who are in despair.

I am lucky enough to still be employed at BigLaw.

Untill recently I was putting most of my "extra" cash directly into student loans (my expenses are fairly modest).

These days, I am just building a pile of cash in case I get canned. Paying off loans is great, but you can't claw that money back to pay your rent if you suddenly need it.

@62 = racist jockey

So she clearly didn't take bankruptcy law. Student loans, which seem like the biggest source of her problems, are almost impossible to discharge. She'll just get rid of cc debts and screw herself out of any possibility of future employment in the legal field. Well done!

She deserves it for the stupid way she lived. Sorry, but true. Kitty has to die, and Costa Rica can wait. It's called being a grown up.

Sounds like she should be taking a long, hard look at a Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy. Student loans will remain, but she'll shake off the credit cards. It seems unlikely she owns much that's outside the exemptions.

72- Kill yourself

I hope CHOMPERS the Chimp eats the suicidal guy after he gnaws nervous T-10's face off. This is the only way we can get justice.

Great Idea Number One: @58, hang yourself with a belt. You are a huge tool.

Great Idea Number Two: Buy a nice $100 blender, put the cat in it, and save $5900 on vet bills. Use blended cat as chum when fishing in Lake Michigan for next meal.

Great Idea Number Three: Move back to Vilnius and blend right in. I think $225,000 is roughly what each Lithuanian is going to have to kick in for them to roll their sovereign debt over during the next couple of years. Fiscal irresponsibility is an epidemic in the Baltics. Or is that America?

72- Kill yourself

Dealbreaker ad makes me want to puke. Please remove.

65/71,

I agree with everything you're saying. It's just that if you're going to say "just one more" you'd better be damn sure that you've got the self-discipline to stop after one more.

If you think you can't say no to temptation, don't go near it at all by tapping lines of credit or getting loans (or increasing credit limits on your credit cards). Unless, of course, it's an emergency or life-and-death.

In the end, as you say, it's your own fault if you can't discipline yourself. The annoying thing is that now people who had the sense to know when to stop have to bail out those who didn't.

-54

Christ, $225k?!

My $75k of student loans consolidated at 2% suddenly don't seem so oppressive.

She could discharge the credit card debt in bankruptcy. It'll ruin her credit, but nobody is going to give her credit with that amount of debt anyway.

As for the student loans, can't she just stop paying? What's the worst that can happen?

Great Idea Number One: @58, hang yourself with a belt. You are a huge tool.

Great Idea Number Two: Buy a nice $100 blender, put the cat in it, and save $5900 on vet bills. Use blended cat as chum when fishing in Lake Michigan for next meal.

Great Idea Number Three: Move back to Vilnius and blend right in. I think $225,000 is roughly what each Lithuanian is going to have to kick in for them to roll their sovereign debt over during the next couple of years. Fiscal irresponsibility is an epidemic in the Baltics. Or is that America?

F@$! that cat! $6,000...People are ridiculous. They hassle me about how expensive it is for me to get a spa treatment ONCE a month. It's way more expensive to have a pet--which I think is almost like having a child (it's another mouth to feed)!

This comment is addressed to post no. 58. You remind me of the countless associates that I have encountered over the years that have tried to hide their grasp of the substantive task or lesson at hand by extolling their mastery of all things procedural. In other words, your vision is myopic. You are lost in the forest and still stuck on the tree.

So she clearly didn't take bankruptcy law. Student loans, which seem like the biggest source of her problems, are almost impossible to discharge. She'll just get rid of cc debts and screw herself out of any possibility of future employment in the legal field. Well done!

She deserves it for the stupid way she lived. Sorry, but true. Kitty has to die, and Costa Rica can wait. It's called being a grown up.

Fair to say she is a poor man's Jewel?

I love Partner Emeritus. It's a real treat to be graced by his avatar of greatness.

"For a lame ATL shtick, Partner Emeritus sure makes some good points and gives great advice."

I prefer Private Hudson myself, but Emeritus is off to a promising start.

1-90; Kill yourselves, especially you, Partner Emeritus. you should kill yourself twice.

I bet she is cute in real life.

71,

The additional 10k can change the picture if it's at a significantly higher interest rate. Assuming this woman's loans have interest rates similar to mine, she's paying 2.5% or less on her federal loans (up to say $80k) and 4.5% on her private loans (say $110). So she only has about $580 in monthly interest expense on her student loans.

If she charges $10k on her credit cards and is paying default interest on that (I don't really use credit cards anymore, but in college I remember rates that were north of 18%. I imagine the default rate is closer to 25%), then she's paying $200 a month in interest on that additional $10k. Even though the credit card is just 5% of her outstanding debt, it's 25% of her monthly interest. That's a big difference.

Yeah Partner Emeritus. Tell 58 how it is. Pedantic db.

Couple thoughts:

1. She commutes to a job in Buffalo Grove from Wrigleyville. For those of you unfamiliar with Chicago geography, Buffalo Grove is approximately 30 miles from Wrigleyville (which is 4-5 miles from downtown). Now I know she wants to drive her Jetta and hang out with all her douchebag trixie friends in Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park, but she could easily find a place for a fraction of what she's paying closer to work (heck, she could live in Wisconsin and still have a shorter commute).

2. $6,000 for a f***ing cat? Are you sh**ing me? Buy a new damn cat.

3. The idea that a single person can't live on $75K/year in Chicago is ridiculous. Stop being a moron and start living like your friends who didn't graduate making $75K/year. She went to the UniversiTTTy of San Diego. She has to have friends that are making $30K.

Say what you will, but I think the Partner Emeritus is a good gig. Some valuable advice is being dispensed here, make sure you don't miss it.

- The Original Nervous T-10 1L (actually a 4th year corporate associate)

Student loans are dischargeable in bankruptcy upon a showing that it would be an undue hardship to repay them. It is reasonable to expect a great number of students with significant debt and limited job prospects to crop up in the next couple of years.

I would not be surprised to see the case law in the next few years expand the scope of what constitutes an undue hardship (not that they should, but I would be unsurprised if they did). So get your righteous indignation revved up to declaim the unfairness of other people appearing to get a free ride.

49: Anther 10k is chump change? I don't think so.

If she's making 75k/year, her take home is probably what, 42k after taxes? Even if she had no other expenses and saved every penny, it would still take her 5 full years to pay it off.

This girl is f'd. She's going to be paying off these loans for 20 years. She needs to get on the Dave Ramsey beans & rice program and get a 2nd job.

Under an Obama administration, this attorney will get a bailout.

Under any rational administration, this attorney will learn to live with the ramifications of her decisions.

Too bad we're going to be paying for her bailout.

Thank the Lord Jebus I live in Texas.

3500 sq ft and a wife!

18, 23, 46 and 53 - you suck.

Only greedy, self-centered, narcissistic lawyers would question money spent on a beloved pet. This person obviously has a heart that most of you bugs do not have - how many of you saddled with debt donate consistently to charities? How many sick, twisted lawyers would sooner step on a cat than pay for its care? You may not decide to spend that amount but don't diss someone who does. Maybe one day someone will put you in a shelter and let you suffer with your diseased heart and soul. A******.

Tony

98 - No court is going to allow a person making what she's making to discharge their student loans.

I am of the opinion that this lass does not care about her debt. She's just waiting to marry a rich guy and have him take care of her debt for her. I don't know...she just has that look.

VMonkey will not bit your face

96 - 102 here.

You suck too.

Partners who started practicing in the 1970's were able to buy homes the 1970's equivalent of $1m today (at least in LA or SF). They also had stay at home wives and didn't need to bill 1,800 a year.

You are not going to get a discharge of student loans just because you're unemployed.

The only realistic way you're going to get a discharge is if you're working at a very low paying public interest job, where you are showing that you aren't a deadbeat by committing yourself to a life of poverty in order to help others.

Partners who started practicing in the 1970s didn't have a moron for a commander in thief who wants to play Robbin' Hood.

For reference, 73% of American households make less than $75K/year. I'd be surprised if the corresponding number in the Chicago area was appreciably lower.

Paul Hastings would offer her one of two options; be tossed down the stairs or the free use of a PH monogrammed coat hanger.

done and done.

Partner Emeritus = good schtick.

2% interest? I don't think so. I am too lazy to read the article, but if this woman graduated anytime within the last 3 or 4 years she is screwed. Try 6.8% on the feds and 8.5% on the Grad Plus. She will owe 15 grand JUST IN INTEREST on her student loans every year. Let's be honest here: this broad will never be paying that shit back.

108,

Have you looked at how much people were taxed in the 1970's?

This isn't about taxes. It is about how law no longer guarantees an upper middle class lifestyle, even for those from elite law schools.

Everybody stop hating on Partner Emeritus. Whatever you have to say, the shtick is fresh, he uses proper grammar and spelling (99% at least) , and the posts involve more than Kashlobster jokes.

That said... there were at least 20 replicas of this girl at my law school, and I suspect every one of them could have been interviewed for that piece.

If you treat college like a 4 (or 5, or whatever) year-long road trip to Cancun, that's one thing. I assume somebody (daddy) is picking up that bill.

But when you go to law school, and think about it the same way, you are destined to fail. The real world is out there, and so is debt-land. Every single person I know who went on some lavish "bar trip" now regrets it because they spent a ton of money they don't have. That life-changing experience in Southeast Asia is a lot less meaningful when you can't pay your student loans off, isn't it?

Since I started at a V20 firm in September, I feel like I've spent WAY too much money living too expensively. And yet I've still managed to pay down my student loans and save 3 full months worth of living expenses in the event I get hit with the layoff stick.

Finances are not rocket science people. All that is required is to pay attention and take responsibility for yourself. People don't get into financial trouble because of bad choices. They get into trouble because they make choices without even thinking about them, ignore day-to-day realities, and stick their head in the sand.

Oh, and this explains (times 100) why I keep on promising my wife that if she brings home a cat, I will bring home a new wife.

3500 sq ft, a wife, and no debt, bitches!

King of Ft Worth

113 - there never was a guarantee, explicit or implicit. Law school (and all educational expenses for that matter) should be considered an investment that may make it easier to achieve an upper middle class lifestyle, not a guarantee.

I think I got it. I buy something I want, and then hope that I can pay for it, right?

102: Animals do not deserve the level of care given to people. They are an inferior and qualitatively different form of life, and though they deserve to be treated without cruelty, it does not follow that their lives deserved to be prolonged at any expense, particularly when finances are limited.

And I didn't suggest stepping on the cat. I suggested a quick and painless end to a life that is likely nearing its end anyway. The only difference between a shovel and a lethal injection is that the former is cheaper and less pleasant for the executioner. Oh, and it makes for better comment flaming. Either way, the result is the same. There's nothing morally superior about a fastidious and expensive death when there's no difference to the animal. If anything, unreasonably prolonging the life of an animal is more cruel, because of the pain felt by the cat.

53

112 - The article said she's paying $2,000 to her debt, so it's safe to assume she's not locked in at 2%.

113 - I have no idea how much people were taxed in the 1970's and I'm pretty sure you don't either. I know the maximum marginal rates, but that's only one (small) part of the puzzle.

Ms. Rimas,

I may have some business oppurtunities for you. Let's call them creative re-financing options. I'm not hard to find.

I have two cats, they are pretty awesome, but 6k on a vet bill?! Living in Wrigleyville? Cmon, this girl has absolutely no common sense. We all buy (bought) stupid/expensive things, and can certainly make cuts to our personal budgets, but she seems to be just irresponsible.

Why am I not surprised that so many of you self-absorbed twits reduce an owner/pet relationship to a cost-benefit analysis? Do everyone a favor and stay far, far away from companion animals. I'm with Partner Emeritus -- you really can't put a price tag on the life of a loved one and, yes, for some of us, pets are loved ones. Of course, one has to be capable of loving someone or something (other than one's own self) before this makes any sense, and that seems to leave out many of the a-hole posters here.

113

I'm not going to waste my time chasing down specifics, but there are a couple of reasons why comparing the highest marginal rate of different time periods isn't all that relevant. First, I'm pretty sure there were more available tax shelters back then. The 1986 Act closed a lot of those. Second, I'd be curious as to where the top marginal rate kicked in. I suspect it's higher, in real dollars, than the current top bracket. Third, there is a sort of 'phantom' tax bracket higher than the current top marginal rate, because high income earners start losing deductions. Eliminating deductions has an effect similar to raising the marginal rate.

So, let's not go pointing to some point in our history where the stated marginal rate was higher than it is now, in a lame attempt to rationalize poor policy decisions by BO.

Dear Partner Emeritus:

Did you know Afghan hounds are one the dumbest breeds of dogs? I would think someone of your stature would choose a smarter breed.

Signed,

Miserable V10 associate who hates law firms generally

112, try less than 10k/year, not 15k.

She can easily pay back her loans in 8-9 years. However, she does need to change her lifestyle some. First off she should rent a place closer to work for roughly $700-800/month. Then she should make a budget where her monthly expenses don't total more than another $700-800/month. This will leave her with approx $3000/month to put toward loans.

This is assuming two things: first, she will never make more than $75k/year for the next 8-9 years; second, that she doesn't lose her job. If she makes more every year, like any person who is employed normally does, she'll be able to live better or pay off loan quicker. If she loses her job then she is in some serious trouble. The second point above is the basis of her situation being reviewed in the tribune.

Also, people shouldn’t knock her for spending the money on her cat. Love of a pet is not always a rationale thing. If people were a little more caring the world would be a much happier place. I’m not saying people who would have put their cat to sleep in her situation are bad people, but she chose compassion over logic, and that is not a horrible thing.

102 here again.

118, Lawyers such as yourself do not deserve the level of care given to people. They are an inferior and qualitatively different form of life, and though they deserve to be treated without cruelty, it does not follow that their lives deserved to be prolonged at any expense, particularly when finances are limited.

And I don't suggest stepping on the lawyer. I too suggest a quick and painless end to a life that is likely nearing its end anyway. There's nothing morally superior about a fastidious and expensive death when there's no difference to the lawyer. If anything, unreasonably prolonging the life of a lawyer is more cruel, because of the pain felt by the lawyer.

121, you suck too.

118:

People form strong emotional bonds with their pets. If they judge those bonds to be worth $6k or more (which isn't a lot of money), I have zero problem with anyone spending that on vet bills.

122:

There are lots of times in life where we reduce life and death decisions to a cost benefit analysis. What kind of car do you drive? A Suburban? No? Why not? Probably because the cost is higher than you're willing to pay, even to protect your own life. There's an environmental cost, a fuel cost, the purchase price, insurance, and so on. So you drive a smaller car, or maybe ride in a poorly maintained taxi, perhaps, while knowing that you saved a few bucks in exchange for less protection in an accident.

So if you can do CBAs for your own life, you can and should put a price tag on the life of a loved animal, unless you have financial resources like Partner Emeritus. We're not self-absorbed twits. We're grownups.

Spend less...gee what a novel idea. A legal education used to mean stability. It no longer does. Law school is extremely over priced for what they can offer now.

102 is a gerbiler.

Wrigleyville is one of the cheaper safe areas in Chicago to live. If she were living in the Gold Coast or Near North it would be one thing, but Wrigleyville is not that expensive. She could always move to Englewood and save a bunch of money.

128,

It's not irrational to assign $6,000 of benefit to a pet in your CBA. That's two months rent on a 1Br apt in New York. I can increase my commute by 15 minutes and save $6k a year. My pet is worth more to me than a shorter commute. There's nothing wrong with making that choice.

if you think that Wrigleyville is that safe, you have not checked out recent crime stats. for Chicago. There are many safer, less expensive (albeit less fashoinable and fun) neighborhoods. (think St. Ben's, North Center, Andersonville).

DIE IN A FIRE

This comment is addressed to post no. 124. I am aware that Afghan Hounds are slow learners. Algernon and Liam have taught me the virtues of patience which I have applied in turn to how I deal with associates that are slow learners. I am grateful for the zen that my dogs have brought into my life. They have given me the fortitude and temperament to deal with people like you who are quick to form judgment about who people are based on what breed of pet they own. If you have the means, I suggest you obtain one and perhaps you won't feel so miserable.

132:

Fair enough.

128

On a side note, isn't nervous t10 1L the most obnoxious, annoying, and clueless poster on these boards?

Here's to hoping he gets no offer and never returns to ATL.

The IRS mileage reimbursement rate is over 50 cents a mile. If you drive 60 miles to and from work each day, that's $30 per day ($600 per month).

Of course, I'm sure that number isn't tied to reality and the IRS just feels like giving away money.

102/126
121 Here - Don't get me wrong. I love my cats, they are fun pets to have. I have been to the vet before and know that they are very expensive, but 6k is a lot of money. If it is a young cat, and has many years ahead of it, then maybe. But if she spent 6 large on, say, a 15 y/o cat, then that is just dumb. If I were in that position, it would no doubt be a difficult and painful decision, but a cat is not worth being homeless over. That being said, the girl has far bigger [spending] problems than the 6k on her cat.

Lesson 1: it's called LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS!! what a moron. no sympathy for her or anyone else like her. Anyone who ends up with lots of credit card debt is a sh!t head.

Lesson 2: don't go to a law school that isn't top 30 - you're wasting your time & money.

Lesson 3: don't be poor. no one likes poor people.

It is obvious to me.... she should spread the ass cheeks for the "special sauce".

If guys would "high "escorting fees" for a strung out law student from Miami, imagine how much they would pay for an admitted lawyer!

P.S. If my doctor told me he could heal a cat for $6k, I would play "kick the cat" until that was no longer an option.

102 here again:

139, very fair points and I totally agree.

130, you are one sick motherf*****. I am totally female, totally repulsed by you and totally not into abusing animals - but don't let me stop your sick, mother-induced psycho-erotic sexual fantansies. A*******.

101--

Buy a $100 blender, put your wife in it, save the $79,900, and use wife chunks to go fishing.

102 - 130 here, I did not mean to imply that you were only partially female, nor did I mean to imply that your perversion is gender specific.

Everyone is focusing on the $6k but not on the bigger mistake -- paying for pet insurance. You just know that if the cat ever has another problem the pet insurance company will be like "pre-existing condition" and pay for nothing. And she'll have probably paid them $500-2000 in monthly premiums over those years. Or she'll pay all those premiums and the pet insurance company will let her know they are no longer covering the cat now that it's age 9.

Maybe things have changed but everything I have read has heavily documented how you seldom come out ahead buying pet insurance.

I don't see what you Philistine lawyers are making such a fuss about, $6k for a pet is chump change.

-Leona Helmsley

Geez, people, there ARE possible options between 1) killing your pet and 2) spending 6k you don't have on kitty's surgery.

First, stop being heartless bastards. You're not pet people, fine. But if you seriously don't get how people can form real connections with animals, I honestly think you're probably missing a piece of your soul. If you are told that someone you love very much needs 6,000 dollar surgery or will likely die, if your immediate response is to shrug your shoulders and say, "oh well, time for a replacement!" you are a sad, broken person.

That said, if you simply DO NOT HAVE the money, look into alternatives. Cheaper treatments, animal non-profits who provide veterinary services for those who can't afford it, asking family (like the parents who apparently had no problem with her living with them) for money, even looking into finding your cat a new home, with someone who CAN afford to care for him/her. While losing a pet can be heartbreaking, at least you would know s/he is with people who care and are able to afford adequate care for the animal.

My point is that, while you're correct that spending that kind of money, with the debt load she was carrying, was pretty damn foolish, killing the cat and replacing it is far from a reasonable alternative.

130 = scarey

138 - do you have any idea what you're talking about? The "IRS mileage reimbursement rate" you reference is the maximum rate that the IRS will allow you to receive from your employer as reimbursement for miles driven for work. Any reimbursement that exceeds the IRS limit is taxable income. You can't get reimbursed for commuting to and from the office. The only people who get to deduct their commuting expenses at the IRS mileage rate are small business owners who have a home office *and* an off-site office.

114, EVERYONE I know who went on a bar trip (myself included) is glad s/he did it. Your friends are either excessively poor managers of their own finances or excessively boring.

As for you telling your wife you'll divorce her if she gets a cat, my advice to her would be to take you up on that. What kind of douchebag actually makes an ultimatum like that? Unless you have deathly allergies, you're an ass if you would actually, seriously threaten to REPLACE your wife over something so relatively minor.

posts are always made better by references to the west wing.

She did not spend $6,000 on her cat. She spent them on her feelings.

Awwww.

150 - what if it is a rather large cat, say a tiger?

If you're gonna get a big cat, why scrimp by going with a tiger? Go all the way and get a liger. The skills in magic (for which they are bred) pay for themselves.

Or a liger?

(They're bred for their skills in magic)

114 - No friends to travel with after law school.

Well played 154, well played.

153 here - I did not know that a liger and a liyer could coexist.

Well played 154, well played.

99 - Amen! The Dave Ramsey total money makeover plan is the only reason my wife, who has been out of work for over a year (mortgage industry casualty) and myself have been able to last as long as we have in this economy. Without his plan we'd still have 2 credit card payments, 2 car payments, a mortgage payment, a student loan and probably a friggin' RV payment.

We're just down to the student loan and mortgage now - we paid off $55k in 26 months simply by living on less than we make. It's not rocket science, it's common sense.

If more people followed his plan and gave up the stupid sense of entitlement and the "keeping up with the Jones' attitude" , the country would be a heck of a lot better off....

149 - Are you retarded? The IRS determines the mileage reimbursement rate based on what they determine the costs of traveling via car to be (since you're paying for your own gas, oil changes, car repairs, etc.). Driving back and forth 30 miles each day ain't free and the IRS's mileage reimbursement rate is as good an estimate as any as to the true cost of commuting.

But, please, keep talking to me about what reimbursements are taxable and what people can deduct as if it's at all relevant to the conversation, because I really care what some douchey 2nd year law student who doesn't understand the first thing about finance and thinks the only costs to owning a car is putting gas in the tank thinks about this topic.

- 138

To all you posters who think it's not worth spending $6,000 on a cat - you should be banned from ever having animals.

Animals are individuals - you can't just replace one with another one. Would you suggest doing that with a child? It's no different. Do yourselves and everyone else a favor - never have any pets.

question: why do folks subject themselves to comment by being the subject of such stories, and them out event more private information on the internet?

her linked-in page has a year aa cocktalk waitress during or after law schook - and a much less flattering photo of her at facebeook - http://www.facebook.com/people/Aukse-Rimas/24503320

Friend of Partner Emeritus

Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole...

But many of the commentators here were called assholes.

Because they are.

Think about it...It'll blow your mind.

162 (and every other cat fancier who thinks a cat is morally equivalent to a child):

I won't have a pet if you don't have children.

Fair enough?

43, who apparently doesn't suck for some reason.

Idiot mileage tax discussers. YOU CANNOT DEDUCT THE COST OF COMMUTING.

Take a tax class OR just don't be an idiot.

Stupid.

166 - My comment at 161 goes double for you.

-138

I know this girl and talked to her about the article. The article nearly doubled the amount of her current credit card debt. The article also failed to mention that she's been on a very strict budget for the past 6 months. Her student loans are locked in, just like mine, at 2.875% for feds and around 6% for private.

Plus, she lives very modestly - I have been to her place and it's a studio apartment that she pays less than $800/month for!! The poor girl won't even spend money on cable tv. As for her commute, I think she only actually goes to the office once or twice a week, so it's a non-issue

Every story must be taken with a grain of salt, people. It looks like there was a lot left out.

There are fewer posts than I would have expected regarding desirability of having sex with her.

I'm in the pro- camp, but guardedly.

I call BS on #114

168 is right.

-Another person in the know

First, she's good-looking, sorry you internet studs who have your pick of supermodels do not agree; maybe you're spoiled by your high success rate with hotties.

Second, her employer, and clients, cannot be pleased to have an article trumpeting her personal irresponsibility placed on the internet. What the hell was she thinking when she agreed to be a subject of this story?

Her facebook picture is much more flattering.

Does anyone know if she keeps in shape?

Her friendster picture is great. She's hot.

163,

Disagree. I love the facebook photo. Great smile.

i actually did move into a windowless basement apartment straight out of law school and paid off all my private loans in 2 years. still worried about the economy but apparently not as much as this girl.

1. Her facebook picture is much worse, I thought she was quite cute, but not after seeing that.

2. to the dude who keeps posting that he thinks he is lucky because he has 4500 sq. feet in texas and a wife---WHO CARES. Being in texas is like living in the gutter in California or any other state worth living. Texas is a shit hole, which is why it's so cheap to live there. If it was so great, wouldn't people want to move there?

3. I have advice for her--become a part time stripper. it's the only way to legally make enough cash in this economy given that big law firms are laying off left and right.

4. Not sure how you can have $250k in debt from a 3 year program. no school costs that much. I went to a pretty expensive Tier 1 private school and it cost 30k per year (roughly). Where did she rack up so much debt in 3 years?

5. The government needs to change the tax rules regarding deducting student loan interest. if you make more than 55K (which is probably every private sector lawyer in America) you can't take a penny of deduction. That's bullshit. I worked my ass off and pay thousands per year in interest on my school loans. Yet I can't even get a little bit of a deduction? How is that fair? Tax code needs to be destroyed and re-written.

Sincerely,

Rat Race

Rat race - re: 4 - it's called undergrad. She has undergrad debt as well as law school debt.

Captain Canuck is happy to say we don’t have these problems in Canada. Yup you can go to McGill for under 6k (even those out of towners). And down the Road at UofT it is a cool 20,000 CAD. Savvy students come up here to get educated and if they have enough of the snow they head to the USA to work. Sadly some of you though Columbia or NYU would be a good pick...work smarter NOT harder.

-Bay Street is Awesome

#138, you are not entitled to reimbursement for driving to and from work. Hmmmm.....I hope you pay someone else to prepare your tax return.

180 here, sorry 138, looks like you have been sufficiently berated.....but just in case....don't think about the home office deduction.......

Way off topic, but re the cat comments: pets do bring immeasureable joy -- I write this with a cat on one side of me on the couch, a daschund on the other, a lovely golden retriever asleep at my feet. Anyone who thinks these creatures are "just another mouth to feed" is a very sad person. I do pay quite a bit for food, boarding when I'm out of town, vet bills, Burberry dog sweaters (kidding), but these guys are worth it. Unconditional love is pretty awesome.

That said, if any of them became seriously ill, I would have the hard conversation with my vet. My animals are not human and I would not prolong their deaths with expensive treatments. They wouldn't understand that I was trying to help them -- all they would know is that they are hurting and can't fetch a ball, chase a feather, etc. Regardless of my intentions, that would be cruel. I'm not suggesting that one shouldn't fix ailments from which an animal can recover -- I've paid for broken bone repair and lots of pain killer -- but no way would I force them to go through chemo or anything like that just because I couldn't say goodbye.

I've never seen anything close to a 6K vet bill (even with my large menagerie), so I assume that this was an incredibly sick animal and she's just prolonging the inevitable. As hard as it is, she should say goodbye and at some point, open her home to a shelter animal (who might die just because of space constraints).

NICE West Wing ref.

177,

In California with a big mortgage. A 4,500 square foot house and a $2k mortgage sounds pretty good right now.

You all are total losers.

102 back again -

165, sorry I missed you.

43 sucks too.

As an immigrant from another western country, I found that American's just don't understand how spoilt they are. I had a great lifestyle and enjoyed myself, but did it living on about half the amount of money as my American co-workers.

I just decided to put money aside for student loans, savings, (and even travel) etc after taxes were taken out, and then made sure I didn't spend more than I had budgeted each week.

In chicago you can easily live a simple but decent life for $30-$35K per year (especially if you don't have kids to support). (If you live with a spouse, then its even cheaper as you share costs - presuming you both earn money). That should leave plenty of money left over each year to pay debt. It does of course mean that you don't throw money at pointless consumerist crap.

But when you let things get away and live above your means for so long, then your debt grows so much that the interest itself becomes impossible to pay - so act sooner rather than later.

At some point though I think people should declare bankruptcy and start anew. Creditors should at some point lose their money for stupidly throwing loans at people who can't pay them off (like many in the housing market), but this girl did have the capacity to pay hers off, so I don't have as much sympathy for her as I do for others who genuinely lived within their means but just had too much educational debt.

The US should however learn from other western countries and provide free or near free legal education, and counter it with taxing people more when they are making 7 figures. This makes it more fair to those who deserve the education based on merit, but don't have mommy and daddy paying for it.

187, shut the fuck up. If America is so horrible and oppressive, by all means leave. Western Europe's taxation and redistributive policies are why its growth has lagged the US's for so long, and they will be the reason Western European economies (Germany notwithstanding) will fall so much harder than America's in this deepening depression.

Please note that she is NOT A CHICAGO LAWYER. She works in Buffalo Grove, a far out suburb with no buildings taller than four stories. That is all.

I think there should be a $10K per year tax on all dogs in NY. If we all have to see your dog poop all over the sidewalk, you should have to contribute more $$ to the city.

Wanna make 15 dollars the hard way?

if i hear one more story about some idiot spending thousands on their cat or dog, i'm going to lose it. half the time you find out the animal is 12 years old and the person just can't deal with it. one shot for 50 bucks and problem solved. then take the other $5950 and do something worthwhile, like breast implants.

Hm, I was reading 138's comment on IRS mileage deduction rates as a proxy for an estimate on how much the girl in the article could save if she moved closer to work (i.e. if she lived 20 miles closer to work the girl could save an estimated $X from gas, maintenance and depreciation on the value of her car--with the X being loosely calculated by using the IRS mileage rate because the poster assumed that the IRS took those things into account when coming up with that rate). I did not read 138's post as saying that it would be deductible. But hey, maybe that's just me.

"I haven't read the full article or anything . . ." but I don't mind talking shit about it.

Query, Mystal, if you haven't read the article, why would anyone be interested in your bloviations about it? Can this blog become anymore useless?

Anyone who has undergrad debt is a moron. Scholarships, people.

Clearly Ms. Rimas is at fault. Food, clothing, shelter, all are easily gotten at little or no cost these days. And she could've eaten that damned cat, too. They do make great buritos. She should have known better.

195,

Undergrad debt happens. If you have it though, you might want to work a few years to pay it down before attending another second tier private school in the hopes of landing a job paying $75k.

Aukse herself comments on the story:
http://www.topix.com/forum/personal-finance/TMTG4V66MIP8JCMFG

192, I just spent $4,000 on my fine little furry friend. Let us know which bridge you decide on.

Your article is revealing regarding the odd situation that new lawyers are faced with.

First, except for a very lucky few, most end up in relatively low paying positions--especially when compared to the debt and years spent achieving a JD.

I seriously doubt that any one in law school understands that, more likely than not, they will not land a six fiqure salary at a major firm. Instead, they will end up as public defenders/state attorneys or with small to mid size firms with compensation packages that too often barely provide for existence---let alone the servicing of student loans.

Second, the practice is loosing its status. Defense attorneys are forced to bow to insurance adjusters who "adjust" their legal fees. Plaintiff's attorneys are ridiculed as ambulance chasers. The public believes they have a right to a free consultations and little respect for the fact that attorneys provide a professional service. The bar associations do little to advance the practice, instead consuming themselves with policing the practice and preaching about ethics.

The subject of the article above did not really do anything wrong (except for the cat), the problem is that the profession no longer holds sufficient rewards in comparision to the effort required.

Damn!

She's worried about what the recession-wracked economy will do to her?

She has gorged on debt for the past few years and is now suffering the consequences. In what world is it reasonable to spend $265000 (or whatever the exact figure is) on an education that will yield a $75000 job?! I graduated about 5 years ago with about $100,000 and a few thousand of credit card debt, which I thought was decadent at the time. I admit that, when I moved to South Florida, I got caught up in the sunshine that the partners were blowing up my &@*& regarding my prospects and took on a bit more extragant debt that I should have, but never this CRAZY. Since then, now that my practice area is in the crapper and dealing with an underwater home (albeit an affordable mortgate, but stressful) , I've been pretty frugal and all but wiped out all debts, aside from the mtg and SLs) by watching expenses and maintaining a 2001 car . I thank god that I never went crazy with credit during law school ...WTF!