Where does a lawyer have a better chance of finding a job: Seattle or San Francisco?

December 17, 2004 5:16 PM

I'm moving to Seattle or San Francisco for a tech job. My girlfriend is a (mostly) non-evildoing lawyer. We need help figuring out in which city she'd have a better chance finding a job... [more inside]

So here's the deal:

She's done her Googling and talked to friends in the biz but can't find a knowledgeable AND reputable source. There are skeery articles like this and the online job listings sites for San Francisco show only recruiters, so there's little real knowledge to be gained there. She's heard gloomy second-hand reports about the situation in Seattle. She can't just go applying willy-nilly for fear that her current employer will learn of her plans--the goal is to push the date on looking for work out as far as possible since she'd like to pass the bar for whatever state we're moving to prior to applying for jobs.

Any advice from lawyers in either locale? She wants to do most any sort of civil litigation (the exceptions are: family law, management-side labor, intellectual property, or immigration); she has three years' experience and wants to work at a small- or medium-size firm.

posted by jewzilla to work & money (4 comments total)

Not a lawyer, just a 2L, but I know that lots of alumni come back to my school and take advantage of the career office. Just a thought.
posted by leecifer at 8:12 PM on December 17, 2004

SF is probably your better bet. Check the Daily Journal for job listings.
posted by crythecry at 8:46 PM on December 17, 2004

The California Bar is the hardest bar to gain admittance in the country. I don't believe they allow anyone to waive in.

Just one thing to think about. I don't know that the exam itself is much harder (I failed it but truth be told I hardly studied and then passed the bar in another state with little studying) or that they severely limit the number of attorneys they admit to their bar in a testing period.
posted by Lola_G at 9:13 AM on December 18, 2004

leecifer: What school are you at?
crythecry: Thanks, she said that link was very helpful. Why do you think SF is better?
posted by jewzilla at 9:51 AM on December 18, 2004