Jonathan M. Shapiro was at that familiar crossroads in his career as an attorney. He had spent five years with a large law firm-Day Pitney-and needed to decide whether he was willing to invest the time and effort to obtain a partnership position.

He considered what was best for his wife and their 15-month-old daughter and whether it was worth living in Stamford to be close to his office but farther away from his extended family in the central part of the state.