A Look into the Legal Industry
The legal job market in the San Francisco Bay Area remains robust, with a multitude of opportunities across a wide range of practice areas. Despite the overall contraction of the legal profession over the last several years and the introduction of artificial intelligence that is set to take over many of the more basic legal roles, recent reports indicate that there has in fact been a growth in legal roles. According to career website LawCrossing, the legal population across the United States increased 2.48% from 2018 to 2019. In the San Francisco Bay Area specifically, job ads for legal positions were up to 5,014 in August 2019, a 9.65% increase from the previous August . Recent salary statistics are promising as well, with data showing that the average legal salary in the San Francisco Bay Area is $118,000. This is above the national average salary for legal professionals and indicates a consistent demand at a higher price point in the Bay Area.
Job availability is also significantly higher than it has been in previous years. An analysis by research site Statista revealed that legal vacancies in November 2019 were at a 12-year high. Economists predict that trends demonstrate hiring will continue to grow at a slow and steady pace. Mondaq regularly gathers annual data on the local legal market and has found that the biggest areas where legal hiring is expected to take place in the next year are in litigation, intellectual property and international work.
Legal Practice Specializations in Demand
Certain legal practice areas are in exceptionally high demand in the San Francisco Bay Area. A primary factor here is the prominence of the region as a leading center of technology innovation and expertise. Law firms look to augment their existing capabilities and resources while employing new attorneys with specific industry knowledge. Some of the areas of legal practice that are particularly in demand include: Intellectual Property and Patent Law: Patent-specific experience is in high demand at all levels, including for junior associates and senior IP litigators. Intellectual property law is driven by the technology and biotech sector, both of which play an outsized role in the San Francisco Bay Area economy. Patent experience is needed both for trial-level work and non-litigious practice. Corporate and Securities Law: Many companies in the Bay Area, such as Apple or Facebook, have large legal teams and offices. Law firms that wish to do business with those corporations need to augment their own departmental capacity. Furthermore, the prominence of biotech and other industries in the region enhances the demand for securities law professionals. The Securities and Exchange Commission is headquartered in San Francisco, which is also one of the most active IPO markets in the country. Technology Law: Certain subsets of technology law are more in demand, due to the prevalence of both litigation and transactional matters involving key technology companies. High demand currently exists for junior attorney candidates with transactional experience in tech and biotech. Many of the companies that dominate these fields maintain active in-house legal departments, which further augments demand for technology law practitioners across the San Francisco Bay Area. Immigration Law: The San Francisco Bay Area is a portal to thousands of new immigrants who come specifically to work in technology fields. Employers and foreign nationals alike need experienced immigration specialists to handle all aspects of immigration law.
Leading Law Firms and Employers
There are a multitude of top law firms and corporations with exceptional reputations and pay that are located in the San Francisco and South Bay Area. They include top-tier national firms as well as local firms that are nationally renowned or highly specialized in their practice areas.
Other prestigious firms, such as Wilson Sonsini, Cooley, Palo Alto & Gibbons P.C., and Fenwick & West, are also headquartered here, or have strong presences.
Among the firms located near Silicon Valley is Wilson Sonsini. The firm has long been a leader in IP and technology, representing many technology companies in the area. The San Francisco office focuses on M&A, patent and trademark prosecution, corporate matters, antitrust, and securities law. Those desiring to work in this office should have a strong interest in high-technology companies and IP issues.
Fenwick & West is another prestigious firm close by, with Stanfords grad Ted Finch holding the distinction of partner. He has spent over three decades with the firm and is a noted expert on IP litigation, human resources, and corporate securities.
Cooley has a sophisticated client base with many top tech companies like Facebook and Amazon. It has a corporate department with 300 lawyers, intellectual property department with 170 lawyers, litigation department with 100 lawyers, and many other departments.
Robins Kaplan has an office in Redwood Shores and represents large clients in class action, healthcare, patent, and securities cases.
O’Melveny and Myers is another large law firm in the city that focuses on antitrust, business litigation, employment, labor, and product liability issues.
MoFo has offices in Palo Alto and Menlo Park. Some notable lawyers include David Greene, an expert in IP litigation, and False Claims Act expert David Douglass.
Anderson, Antonelli, and Fleischer is a boutique California law firm that focuses on patent and other intellectual property litigation. It also represents individuals and businesses in patent infringement and patent litigation.
Davis Wright Tremaine, which has a San Francisco office, is well-known for its acquisitions, FDA-exempt regulations, and finance expertise.
Compensation for Legal Professionals
Salary expectations for legal professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area vary according to type of position, firm size, and individual experience level. A larger firm will typically pay associates, counsel, and partners more than smaller ones, and expect to see a broader range of experience levels within each group.
Like other large California cities, San Francisco wages have been impacted by several factors, including higher-than-average property prices and tight unemployment rates across the Bay Area. Wage growth is projected to continue for the foreseeable future because of these market conditions, but also based on anticipated increases in law firm revenues of 5.6% in 2019 and 5.7% in 2020.
At the California and national level, economic indicators such as gradual wage increases have correlated to increased litigation activity and high demand for attorneys in criminal, intellectual property, and labor and employment law, among other areas. In San Francisco, litigation, real estate, and information technology lead a flourishing legal market.
Specific salary expectations for legal professionals in the Bay Area reflect the experience level of the job , and range from $50,000 to $370,000:
Legal Secretaries – $50K – $97K
Litigation Secretaries – $53K – $112K
Corporate Secretaries – $55K – $85K
Legal Staff Assistants – $50K – $80K
Paralegals – $54K – $100K
Chief Operating Officers – $90K – $170K
Marketing Managers – $63K – $128K
Director of Finance – $110K – $180K
Director of Operations – $100K – $200K
Attorney – $75K – $370K
Senior Counsel – $130K – $300K
Senior Trial Attorney – $160K – $300K
The largest firms in San Francisco show average associate salaries of $134,000, but some firms report higher numbers. First-year associates at Latham & Watkins report salaries of $190,000 per year, while those at Fried Frank and Milbank report $185,000. First-year associates can also expect signing bonuses of $5,000.
Associates can add to their financial compensation with bonuses of $10,000 or more for exceeding performance expectations. Additional compensation for specific practice groups, such as an additional $30,000 at Steptoe & Johnson, rewards associates for developing niche expertise.
Networking Strategies for Legal Practice Professionals
The San Francisco Bay Area offers an abundance of chances for legal professionals to network, from formal groups to informal events. When it comes to networking tips for legal professionals, the following list will help point you in the right direction:
- Legal Networking Groups: Legal networking groups come in many forms and sizes, from Bay Area Young Lawyers to the Bar Association of San Francisco. A legal professional’s membership in a professional organization can help him or her to make new connections and keep existing ones strong.
- Professional Associations: Professional associations are good sources of support for legal professionals at any stage in their careers. Many provide continuing education programs that allow members to connect with others in their fields while also adding credentials to their resumes.
- Networking Events: In addition to networking groups, legal professionals can meet people through networking events like luncheons, law and technology conferences and receptions. Many of these gatherings can be found in newsletters published by law schools, legal blogs and readings in local newspapers.
Resources and Strategies for Employment Seekers
There are few things more daunting than the prospect of a job search, so you’ll be glad to know that there are many resources at your disposal in the San Francisco Bay Area. First and foremost, I’d like to remind you to use our job board, which is powered by Indeed.com. Simply enter the type of legal position you’re interested in and your preferred location, and Legal Authority will immediately give you access to local job listings that match your criteria.
Other online resources include the San Francisco Bay Area Job Bank, Craigslist, Monster (which has a dedicated legal jobs section), and a wide variety of legal recruiters, both general and area-specific. For the latter, you can perform a search specific to the San Francisco Bay Area on LawCrossing, or you can even go through the Association of Legal Administrators (ALFA) to find some of the most well-known legal recruiters in the region.
One tip I have for those seeking employment in the area is to do some research on the Pierre Koshak Foundation, which provides grants to law students and young attorneys to cover the cost of living in San Francisco while they pursue externships , internships, and post-graduate law work in the city. Even if you don’t need assistance with living expenses, you may want to consider applying to the program for the sake of networking possibilities with firms that partner with the foundation to hire its recipients.
I’d also encourage you even further to connect with fellow San Francisco Bay Area law students in order to set up informational interviews with their firm’s attorneys. This may be particularly helpful shortly before the summer associate hiring cycles in your area. If you want to go a step beyond that, think about signing up for a local association of your legal peers, such as the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.
More broadly, however, you can also take advantage of other general job boards, listings, and resources such as:
• Facebook and Twitter
• LinkedIn
• FlexJobs
• Legal Authority’s targeted resume service
• Alacrity Recruitment Services
• The San Francisco Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
Regardless of the resources you choose to utilize or any tips you decide to follow, however, best of luck with your job search and happy hunting!