Apropos of a certain video clip from Saturday night, and a certain lyrical post from back in December, I have some news to share: Becky and I are moving to Tennessee!
Yesterday I accepted an offer from Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr. of the Tennessee Court of Civil Appeals for a clerkship in Knoxville, Tennessee, starting in September. It’s a one-year, potentially renewable position. I’m really looking forward to working for Judge Susano, who seemed like a great guy in our interview last month, and who comes highly praised by at least two Tennessee lawyers I know: Jay Johnson of DrawingDead fame, and Glenn Reynolds of InstaPundit fame.
Judge Susano got his undergraduate degree from Notre Dame, graduating in 1958. After a two-year stint in the military, he went to Tennessee for law school, graduating in 1963, then practiced law in Knoxville for 30 years before being appointed to the bench in 1994. One of the reasons I think we’ll get along great — except, perhaps, one week a year — is that he’s a big sports fan. And yet he still offered me the job, despite my being a Trojan! :) Actually, as it happened, we talked by phone the day after the USC-Notre Dame game, and he offered me “grudging congratulations” — and then scheduled me for an interview. The clerk I’ll be replacing is an LSU grad, so I guess he’s used to occasional sports-based antagonism with his clerks. Heh.
Of particular interest, perhaps, is that Judge Susano loves my blog! I don’t think he was a reader before receiving my application or anything like that, but the URL is listed on my resumé, and he apparently logged on and was quite taken with it. His wallpaper at work is one of my Golden Dome at the end of the rainbow photos, and his wallpaper at home is one of my Heavenly Dome photos. When I asked him yesterday whether it would be all right if I blogged about getting the job (and about the details I just mentioned), he said, “I’d be honored to be on the blog.”
Not to put too fine a point on it, but this should serve as something of a rebuke to those who have tried to argue that my blog would somehow destroy my professional career. I’ve long been aware that having this blog entails a certain amount of risk to my career prospects, and that it might close some doors for me — but it’s always been my belief that, as long as I’m careful about what I post (i.e., not blogging about what I do at work, always keeping in mind that my employers and potential future employers can read anything that I put on here, etc.), the blog would open at least as many doors as it closes. Now I have a great piece of empirical evidence to back up that belief: the blog helped me get a job.
Actually, if it weren’t for the blog, I never would have been looking for a job in Tennessee in the first place. When Becky and I decided to turn our focus away, at least for the moment, from Arizona, we basically got out a map and started going through the country by process of elimination, figuring out where I should apply for clerkships. And I’ll be honest: the Volunteer State wasn’t initially on our radar. We didn’t rule it out, but we didn’t rule it in, either. But then Jay started whispering in my ear (uh, figuratively speaking) about the joys of East Tennessee, and I figured, ah, what the heck. I applied there, and the rest is history. Now, I’m really looking forward to living in Tennessee for at least a year, maybe longer. I’ve heard nothing but great things about Knoxville, and it seemed like a very nice city during my brief visit there. And of course, I’m not altogether unhappy about the prospect of perhaps being able to attend a college football game or two — at the third-largest football stadium in the country, no less — and a few college basketball games for sure. For a college sports fan like me, being in a university town definitely has its perks.
That said, no, this does not mean I’ll become the Irish Trojan Vol. (If I was going to list college-sports allegiances beyond the schools I actually attended, it would be more like Irish Trojan Zag Husky Vol. :) I’ll root for Tennessee in the SEC, though; why not? I don’t have any other allegiances there. (I may have to soften my SEC-mocking rhetoric a bit, though. Heh.) What Becky will do about her affinity for Alabama, Tennessee’s most hated rival, I’m not sure. I know I’ll still be backing the Lady Huskies in women’s basketball, whereas I’m fairly certain Becky will become a HUGE fan of Pat Summitt’s gals, just to piss me off. :) As for men’s basketball and football, my teams rarely go head-to-head with the Vols, so that’s not really a problem — and hey, I like Bruce Pearl and his ridicuous orange blazers. And I’m already a fan of “Rocky Top” … thank you, Backer!
Anyway… whether we stay in Knoxville after the clerkship, or end up in Denver or Phoenix or someplace else, remains to be seen. I’ve got contacts in all three cities, and am definitely keeping my options open. Among other things, where I take the bar this summer has yet to be determined. (I’m not required to take the Tennessee bar for the clerkship.) But for the moment, I’m just happy to know where I’m going after graduation. On May 21 (because I’m sure Becky won’t want to wait a day longer than necessary to leave South Bend), the Loy Family & Menagerie will embark for Knoxville. Go South, young man!
P.S. This is the inaugural post in my “Tennessee and environs” blog category (though I’ll probably go back and add some earlier ones as appropriate). Since I’ll be living there, I’ll doubtless do some “local interest” blogging, as I have in all of my previous “home” areas. Speaking of which: upon our move, Becky and I will have lived in the Northeast, the West Coast, the Southwest, the Midwest and the South — all in the space of just over four years.
P.P.S. Please keep in mind that, any time I talk about jobs — past, present or future — on the blog, I’m treading a fine line. As such, there are some related topics that some readers may be curious about which I will not want to discuss here. If you have a question or want to say something that you think might not be blog-appropriate, feel free to e-mail me at bloy[at]nd.edu. And if you leave a comment that I subsequently delete, please don’t take it personally; I may have to censor/edit with a heavier hand than usual, simply because of the subject matter.
January 16th, 2007 at 10:08:43 am
Congrats!!!! :)
January 16th, 2007 at 10:15:07 am
Congratulations, my friend. We’re happy to have you guys down here in Knoxville.
Anything you need help with related to the move, please let me know. The missus and I are happy to help.
BTW, if I were you, I’d go ahead and sign up to take the Tennessee Bar. That way, even if you don’t need it for the clerkship, you’ve already started the clock ticking on any admission by comity/reciprocity with a bunch of other states. That, and the Tennessee bar is pretty manageable, as compared to some other states.
In any event, we’re glad to have you. Judge Susano made an excellent decision, and I believe that you did as well.
Cheers!
January 16th, 2007 at 10:17:43 am
Congrats, but if Becky hates South Bend . . .
January 16th, 2007 at 10:19:15 am
Congratulations, Brendan! I hope you’ll be so happy here, you’ll never want to leave. ;) I’m on the other end of the state, but you’re moving to my old stomping grounds (was born and raised in Morristown…I’m sure Jay knows where that is), and I know I’m biased, but East Tennessee is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
I’ll look forward to reading about your family’s experiences in the South. :)
January 16th, 2007 at 10:27:57 am
NDLS2006, I don’t think Becky will hate Knoxville like she hates South Bend. I don’t want to get into a South Bend-bashing-fest here, but Becky’s problem with South Bend isn’t merely that it’s a college town — it’s much more than that. Knoxville has plenty of attributes that South Bend lacks which will, I think, make Becky feel much more comfortable and happy than she has here. Among these attributes are the Smoky Mountains being nearby. :) Becky loves (as do I) the presence of natural beauty in the surrounding area. One of her favorite things about living Mesa (which is, by itself, nothing but a case study in suburban sprawl) was that she could drive 15 minutes and be in a national wilderness area or some such.
Besides, Knoxville is a substantially larger city than South Bend (173,000 to 107,000)… and I’m constantly hearing people saying that Knoxville is a great place to live, a fantastic little city, East Tennessee is so great, etc. etc. … whereas you rarely hear people singing South Bend’s praises that way. The standard line about the Bend, of course, is that Notre Dame is nice, and Chicago is only two hours away. :) Knoxville seems to be a whole different animal; people who live there love it, and people who used to live there miss it. (How many Notre Dame grads actively miss South Bend? Not Notre Dame, but South Bend?) That’s my impression, anyway. East Tennessee is also the site of a notable “Yankee” migration, from what I understand; I’ve even heard it described as “the new Florida,” in terms of folks moving there from up north. If Michiana is undergoing a similar population boom, I’m unaware of it. :)
But hey, we’ll see. If we hate it, we won’t stick around. I very much doubt we’ll hate it.
January 16th, 2007 at 10:33:09 am
Congrats, Brendan. You’ll love clerking. I definitely did :-)
January 16th, 2007 at 10:34:39 am
Hip, Hip… HOORAY!
January 16th, 2007 at 10:36:29 am
Congratulations on your clerkship, and welcome to the South. And to the SEC. It is a most amazing sports conference. And although Tennessee is *our* hated SEC rival (I work for/root for the U of Kentucky) I won’t mind if you cheer for the Vols. Really.
The nice thing about the upper South — you get the seasons without the extremes. (This coming from a former Minnesota resident who would prefer never ever seeing a white Christmas again.)
Again — congratulations!
January 16th, 2007 at 11:00:25 am
Congratulations, Becky and Brendan! I look forward to visiting!
January 16th, 2007 at 11:40:01 am
Congrats guys! Hope you keep coming to STL for the Missouri Valley Tournament!
January 16th, 2007 at 11:58:40 am
I don’t think Knoxville is that much of a step up from South Bend, sorry to say. I don’t really miss South Bend, but I didn’t really hate it as much as others (I grew up in a small midwestern town so it wasn’t really that big of a change, eventhough I spent 8 years in D.C. before law school). That said, Knoxville is nice, but I’m sure you’ll get a twinge of claustrophobia from time to time.
And you’ll also have to deal with all those SEC fans…ugh. :-)
And you right to rub it in the nose of those who say blogging is bad for your career. Do you really want to take a job in which they wouldn’t want you to blog? No, so why even worry about it. The last time I interviewed for a ‘real’ job (i.e. working for someone else) I said to myself 5 seconds before meeting the boss ‘I’m just going to be myself and if he doesn’t like me, fuck it, I don’t want to work for him.” I got the job (despite being my normal spaz self) and had a great time in his office before starting my own company.
January 16th, 2007 at 12:01:48 pm
p.s. Take “a” bar after your graduate, no matter which state. Your summer post-law school is when the stuff is still fresh and you are still in a ‘learning mode’ (i.e. going to a bar refresher class isn’t that much of a stretch).
I took the Illinois bar since most of the subject in Illinois were required classes at ND (I think Commercial Paper and Family Law were the only two we were tested on that I hadn’t already studied). I think I skipped out of a number of bar refresher classes that were redundant (and made my way to the river boats in Gary instead :-)
January 16th, 2007 at 12:18:14 pm
Congratulations, Brendan!
Will he be OK with you blogging while working for him?
Who knows where you’ll end up in life? Tennessee should be better than Fort Bend. Ewwww…. I’m from Michigan and have never regretted moving South.
January 16th, 2007 at 12:21:08 pm
Congrats, Brendan! I’m very excited for you. Nice work. Does the Good Judge keep penguins by any chance?
January 16th, 2007 at 12:23:38 pm
Congratulations! I wish you guys nothing but the best in Knoxville!!!
January 16th, 2007 at 1:17:57 pm
Congrats Y’all!! :)
January 16th, 2007 at 1:25:40 pm
Becky doesn’t like the unsophisticated people in South Bend, and Knoxville will be no different.
January 16th, 2007 at 1:52:41 pm
Congratulations !
Hmmmm … how easily do you pick up accents where you live ? (grin)
{Minor nit-pick - I think you mean “anecdotal”, not “empirical” in the context of your post)
January 16th, 2007 at 1:52:48 pm
Hello Brendan, I’ve been a regular reader of yours since Katrina. I lived in Knoxville several years. Wobbly H is right. It is a very large small town, quite unsophisticated and proud of it. The Smokies are near by and there are a lot of great things about it, but there’s a lot of “plain old folks” and “good ole boys” pride that resists “newcomers”. Though, because you already have a connection with Glenn Reynolds, you might find an enclave of people that make you feel right at home.
Congratulations and best of everything to you and Becky.
January 16th, 2007 at 2:00:04 pm
One quibble — the South Bend metro area actually has a population of about 250,000.
Regardless, I suspect that the same people who like Knoxville would probably like South Bend too. And I’d imagine that the people who say of South Bend that Chicago is only two hours away would probably point to the distance between Knoxville and Nashville as a nice bonus :).
Regardless, it’s hardly up to me! Best of luck!
January 16th, 2007 at 2:02:12 pm
Also — I agree with PenguinSix. Take a bar. Any bar. I would actually recommend New York if you have no idea what you want to do. I would also suspect that your pay rate is higher if you’re admitted to practice.
And while I’m certain Becky is itching to get out of the Bend, plan carefully so you’re settled as soon as possible and can start studying hard core right away. You’ll be much better off if you start strong than you will if you put it off.
January 16th, 2007 at 2:16:19 pm
Congratulations, Brendan. I’m sure it feels good to know where you are headed next year. Tom has a cousin who left Port Washington and moved to practice in Knoxville years ago and he is still happily practicing there today.
Hope your year there is fun filled and interesting!
January 16th, 2007 at 2:32:20 pm
Congratulations, Brendan. Enjoy the laid back Southern livin’.
January 16th, 2007 at 2:36:17 pm
Awesome! Totally awesome! tm Jeff Spiccoli.
Just another example of the “40 year decision” that we speak of regarding football recruits. If one joins the ND family, one can expect an unparalleled (amongst football schools) national network of alums upon which to advance.
One salutary effect of this move is you will finally gain a true appreciation of the quality of SEC football. It really is the best. You’ll also get to enjoy the Volunteer Navy! I look forward to the post where you become a part of the armada!!
I agree with the previous posters as to the Bar. The TN Bar is as good as any for your needs at this point. But, yes, if you want to make a point, admittance to the CA and NY Bars would “look good.”
My best to you and Becky. Congratulations and Go Irish!
January 16th, 2007 at 3:36:26 pm
Congratulations! Welcome to the south.
I live in central South Carolina and drive up frequently, both on business and to enjoy the countryside.
Knoxville has a surprising diversity. The Oak Ridge National Laboratories was a major change agent and the decendants of many of those families have roots there and as well as diverse other regions- even New England!
January 16th, 2007 at 3:56:07 pm
First of all, thanks for the congrats, everybody.
Secondly, PK, thanks for the info, but Wobbly H is not right, though for reasons that have nothing to do with his impression of Knoxville. Wobbly H is not right because Wobbly H does not correctly understand Becky’s feelings about South Bend. Wobbly H thinks Becky is some kind of elitist, which is just laughably wrong, regardless of what Internet evidence he may cite to the contrary (which I’ll probably delete anyway, because I really do not want to get into that tired argument here, in this thread, of all places). Becky and I have nothing at all against “plain old folks.” In fact, we often feel more comfortable with “plain old folks” — the type of people who drink cheap beer and listen to country music, say — than with more “sophisticated” people. Not to say we have anything against “sophisticated” people (whatever that even means), but some of our best friends could be accurately described as “plain old folks.” So I’m not concerned one iota about that aspect of life in Knoxville.
NDLS2006, re: your “quibble,” fair enough, but you’ve got to compare apples to apples. I was comparing the city of Knoxville to the city of South Bend. If you want to cite the population of the South Bend metro area, you’d need to compare it to the population of the Knoxville metro area. Here’s a site that puts it at 655,400. Here’s one that puts it at 687,249. That same site also notes that The Places Rated Almanac recently ranked the Knoxville metro area as the “best place to live in the U.S. among cities with less than one million population.” Has South Bend won any awards like that, aside from calling itself a “21st century city”? ;)
But, look, honestly, I’m sorry I even brought up the issue of Becky not liking South Bend, because that’s not really relevant and I don’t want to veer off-course into a detailed pro-and-con comparison of the two cities. What matters is that we’re both really looking forward to our time in Knoxville. And, significantly, this is a decision we made together, as opposed to my decision to attend Notre Dame (and Becky’s later decision to follow me here — remember, we weren’t even engaged when I decided to come here). In this case, Becky is actually the one who first proposed that I look for clerkships in an Upper South state (though her initial state of choice was North Carolina). We’re both very much on board with the whole Knoxville thing. If anything, Becky’s even more enthusiastic than I am.
Really. We’ll be fine. :)
January 16th, 2007 at 4:09:48 pm
Brendan,
Throwing in my congrats as well.
Onward and upward! :)
January 16th, 2007 at 4:30:20 pm
I’m looking forward to moving to Tenn. I remember visiting for a few days when I was a little kid on a road trip through the South when we were passing through Greenville, NC to visit my grandparents. It’s a beautiful state and I am itching to leave the rust belt. I hate the sense that I’m surrounded by decay. 125 days…not that I’m counting or anything.
January 16th, 2007 at 4:43:22 pm
We’ll make sure to take you guys on a tour of the area, to take in all of the cool things that Knoxville and East Tennessee has to offer.
Knoxville, like any other place, has its not-so-nice elements, but unlike some other places, the positives way outweigh the negatives.
Cost of living is good, quality of life is excellent, there’s a respectable amount of “stuff to do” from an entertainment side, taxes are low, the people as a whole are very hospitable, and well, I’m here.
You get the benefits of being in a moderate sized town, which generally means you have most of the things a big city has, but with the feel of a small community.
I’m glad you’re both excited to get down here, and we couldn’t be happier to have you.
January 16th, 2007 at 5:55:58 pm
rather Belatedly, here ~ Congratulations! Nice goin’. :)
January 16th, 2007 at 6:24:11 pm
Congratulations, Brendan! That’s exciting news!!
January 17th, 2007 at 12:29:18 pm
Brendan and Becky, I’m glad you are looking forward to your move and that you’ll enjoy the down home personality of Knoxville. There were many things about Knoxville that I enjoyed and that I miss. But I did know several folks from other areas (particularly the north) that really didn’t like it at all. So I had been a little worried.
January 25th, 2007 at 12:46:32 am
Hey, Bea and I were on vacation in Hawaii so I totally missed this news until a more recent post alluded to Tennessee being your future home. Congratulations on your post-law school clerkship! I haven’t been to Tennessee, but I have been to Louisville-Lexington, and I liked it a lot, so I am sure I’d like Tennessee too. Bea is more skeptical about the South than I am, but I am sure she’ll be game for visiting you guys next chance we get.
Congrats again and we’ll see you in a few months at the wedding!
February 2nd, 2007 at 10:14:01 am
Congrats on the clerkship. Love your blog. Have you decided which bar you are taking yet? I wish you good luck.
Fight on!
Dana A. (USC JD 91)
March 13th, 2007 at 7:47:42 pm
Hi, you don’t know me, but I’ve been reading your blog ever since Katrina. I’m a runner for a law firm right in the First Tennessee building down the street from your new job and I think it’s pretty cool that you are going to be working down here. Congrats on the job!