The Decision

We held a special press conference to announce our decision of where I will attend law school. Here is some some exclusive footage:

DON'T SCROLL DOWN UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN THE VIDEO!
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We know what you're thinking. "Iowa?! Isn't that just corn fields and pig farmers?"

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Well, yes. But:

• It's ranked 27th in the nation.
• I got a full tuition scholarship.
• During my 2L and 3L years, I can be paid as a part-time professor's research assistant, which will qualify me for in-state tuition and subsidized health insurance.
• The cost of living in Iowa City is lower than in Provo. One of the grad students there I talked to is renting a three-bedroom house for cheaper than our two-bedroom apartment here.
• A dean we met at the law school fair remembered us and personally called me after he found out I was admitted. Then he recruited several students who were BYU grads and members of the church to call me and email me, and talk about the law school and answer any questions. A couple of the students' wives even emailed and called Erin. I know that's not reason enough to go to Iowa, but one of the wives told Erin that the dean had told her to work really hard to get me to do there, because my credentials were really good and they really wanted me there.
• Because of that, I think I could be a "big fish in a little pond" there, and at a #27 law school to boot.
• I was a little worried about it being a regional school, meaning I would be most likely to end up working somewhere near Iowa. Not that we don't want to settle down and raise our family in the Midwest, maybe we do. We're just not ready to decide that now. But, I learned that students from Iowa have worked at jobs and internships in New York City, Washington D.C., London - so we won't be stuck in Iowa if we don't want to be. It might take some extra effort in the job search, but if I do well at Iowa then I should be able to find a job wherever we want to live in three years. And, who knows, maybe we'll want to stay in the Midwest anyway.
• Every law school brags about their professors, but Iowa's professors seem especially accessible. They make it a point that most of their professors' offices are located at the same floor as the student center. Maybe that isn't some magic solution to make the professors amazing, but I like the philosophy that it symbolizes.
• Iowa City seems like a really great town. It's a small, family-friendly town. And because it's a college town there are museums, plays, cool restaurants and other cultural attractions.
• Big 10 Conference sports will be cool. Iowa football finished in the top half of the conference or division every year since 2007. And I've heard from a lot of sources that Iowa basketball is going to be really good next season and beyond, so it will be exciting to be there for that. And, even if Iowa loses, it will still be cool to see Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, etc., and experience what it's like to be in a BCS/Power Six conference. 
• We'll be fairly close to some big cities that we've never been to or don't know very well, like Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Milwaukee.
  
• And, we'll be two hours away from Nauvoo, and we'll be in the Nauvoo Temple district.
• We fasted and prayed a lot and felt like going to Iowa made the most sense and was the best decision for our family.

The only downsides I could think of are cold winters and humid summers (nothing we can't handle), and that the state of Iowa isn't "cool" according to stereotypes and pop culture, like California or New York. But if Iowa not being "cool" was the only thing holding us back, it seemed like a silly reason to cross it off our list. Besides, it probably is cool. And if it isn't, we'll make it cool. :)

(And, like my mom said, "Anyone who doesn't think Iowa is cool has never seen Field of Dreams!")

We can't wait to start our new adventure. And we can't wait for you to come visit us in Iowa City!

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