Legal Quandary

If you don't mind the ultra-liberal way of life, American would be a good choice.

I think all of the schools in DC are good, though—and the three Georges (GULC, GW, GMU) are very well regarded.
 

Talk to Scott and Matt from Life Law Libido. They're both GW men.
 

I don't live in D.C., but Baltimore. It's swell down here. I can help you with restaurant recs, but not where to live, etc. I just know that lots of people are leaving D.C. to live in MD and commute because of the cost of living in D.C. But, you'll like it. It's nice here. Good luck!
 

FYI, I have a short list of DC blogs I like here. Many of those places might be good sources of information. Some are blogs by law students, others are news sites about DC, and some are photoblogs so you could see some pics of the area. Random maybe, but might be helpful.

As far as neighborhoods, it all depends on what you're looking for since the DC area has a bit of everything. About the schools, I'm not so sure. The public schools seem universally derided so private schools are all the rage among the upwardly mobile set. I'd probably say you should live in MD or VA unless for some reason you really need to be inside DC. Cost of living can definitely be cheaper in the 'burbs and the schools are supposedly better. I've enjoyed being inside DC myself and can recommend Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan areas as very nice. The latter is cheaper, and for similar quality of life but generally cheaper still, you can also look into the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. If this all seems vague, that's because it is. I'm no expert. Oh, I also lived for a while in Silver Spring, MD, and really liked it except I hated the commute to get downtown to GW. Speaking of which, if you're planning to transfer schools, I'd say try for Georgetown, no question. It's ranked higher for good reasons. But all the schools here are good from what I've heard; each has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you have more specific ideas of what you're looking for I'm sure I or someone else could offer more specific recommendations.

Regardless, definitely look me up when you get to town. If you're here this summer w/our favorite super hero (E. Spatula), we must definitely all drink a toast to the demise of 2L. Oh how I long for the demise of 2L....
 

The best places for good elementary/middle schools are Fairfax County in Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland, just north of DC. I grew up in Charles County MD, about 35 miles from DC, and while I turned out okay (?), there are better school systems in the area. You'll want to avoid living in DC, because their public schools are abyssmal. If you can afford it, there are many great private schools.

I'm not sure how prestigious of a law school you're looking for, but if you can establish residency in Virginia and get into George Mason, paying "cheap" in-state tuition at the 40-ish ranked school is a pretty sweet deal.
 

Fairfax VA and Potomac MD are the best school counties, but housing is comparatively expensive (however the entire area is experiencing a massive rise in housing costs.) Virginia seems to have better public schools on average, check out Loudoun and Arlington area schools. Washingtonian Magazine ranks the private schools in the DC area, www.washingtonian.com, if you are interested. For law school, most people regard the schools in this way GULC>GW>AU. Catholic U, Howard U, GMU,and UDC also have law schools that would get you job in the city but may not be as nationally known. As for restuarants and such, the entire metro area has a lot to offer with a high concentration within DC city limits.
 

Montgomery County (MD) has decent public schools, and Bethesda/Chevy Chase are way closer to the city than Potomac. Especially if you end up at American.
 

Hi -- I grew up in the DC area and attend GULC now. Did my MA at GWU. Drop me a line if you have any specific questions.