Washington state legal market Forum

[Manali]

Didn't see a thread about this. Interested in relocating there after graduation for family reasons. Have no ties to the state other than future in-laws in the greater Seattle area and a fiance who is a resident of the state. Attend a strong regional school in the northeast. How is the legal market out in the Pacific Northwest? (Hopefully less of a dumpster fire than the market my school is in...) Possible to break in with tenuous ties? Interested in small firms (family law, immigration law), legal aid, and public defender positions. Fluent in Spanish. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous User]

The market in the Seattle area is very difficult to break into. Seattle is home to two law schools, Seattle University and University of Washigton. On top of that, Seattle is a desirable place to live for many people although I can't figure out why. I am not sure about government work, but from my friends experiences, breaking into a firm in Seattle is tough. I would look at the surrounding Seattle area as well, Issaquah, Bremerton, Redmond, Renton, Bainbridge Island,Federal Way, ect. Even as far north as Everett and Bellingham.

The market in Washington state overall isn't bad, but you would have to be willing to work outside of Seattle. I would check out the following areas:
Tri Cities* (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco)
Yakima*
Wenatchee*
Moses Lake*
Walla Walla*
Spokane
Pullman
* Fluent Spanish would be very important in this
Area

[BearState]

The above is credited. Spanish skills will help a lot in civil legal aid, immigration, etc. Family in the area can be a good tie, but generally the search will be much more successful when you are in the state--many employers won't want to deal with you until you are in the area. If you are a 1L or 2L, working there a summer can help too.

[Manali]

Thanks for the reality check, guys, really appreciate it. Conducting a job search from 3,000 miles away is certainly a daunting task. I am a year and a half away from graduation, but I have already reached out to contacts in the South Asian Bar Association of Washington.

[Manali]

Will it be impossible to find a public interest gig in Washington state coming from a random T3 on the east coast? Unfortunately, for financial reasons, I can't intern over the summers in WA, so my only connection to the state is my fiance and his relatives.

[legalaidislegit]

Will it be impossible to find a public interest gig in Washington state coming from a random T3 on the east coast? Unfortunately, for financial reasons, I can't intern over the summers in WA, so my only connection to the state is my fiance and his relatives.

It'll be a challenge. There aren't many WA public interest jobs available, and the ones that are available tend to hire internally or through fellowships that look for community relationships, connections, etc and want a relationship with the host org. Check out the Alliance for Equal Justice for WA public interest orgs. You may be able to score a gov position and later switch to a public interest gig, though.

[Manali]

Will it be impossible to find a public interest gig in Washington state coming from a random T3 on the east coast? Unfortunately, for financial reasons, I can't intern over the summers in WA, so my only connection to the state is my fiance and his relatives.

It'll be a challenge. There aren't many WA public interest jobs available, and the ones that are available tend to hire internally or through fellowships that look for community relationships, connections, etc and want a relationship with the host org. Check out the Alliance for Equal Justice for WA public interest orgs. You may be able to score a gov position and later switch to a public interest gig, though.

Yeah, I'd imagine conducting a job search from 3 timezones away is a challenge. I did sign up for reciprocity with career services in UW, Seattle U and Gonzaga so that I can have access to their job listings. Thanks for the Alliance for Equal Justice link.

[OutOfTheQuestion]

The market in the Seattle area is very difficult to break into. Seattle is home to two law schools, Seattle University and University of Washigton. On top of that, Seattle is a desirable place to live for many people although I can't figure out why. I am not sure about government work, but from my friends experiences, breaking into a firm in Seattle is tough. I would look at the surrounding Seattle area as well, Issaquah, Bremerton, Redmond, Renton, Bainbridge Island,Federal Way, ect. Even as far north as Everett and Bellingham.

The market in Washington state overall isn't bad, but you would have to be willing to work outside of Seattle. I would check out the following areas:
Tri Cities* (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco)
Yakima*
Wenatchee*
Moses Lake*
Walla Walla*
Spokane
Pullman
* Fluent Spanish would be very important in this
Area

Native Washingtonian, and IMHO living in any of these bolded places would suck. Eastern Washington is a basically a different state from Western Washington. It's more like Idaho, there's nothing out there and the climate is entirely different. But to each their own! I just wouldn't want out-of-state people thinking Eastern Washington has any resemblance to the Seattle area.

EDIT: just read that OP's SO has Washington ties and probably already knows this, my bad. A Seattleite like myself can't pass up an opportunity to be a snob about Eastern Washington.

[Manali]

The market in the Seattle area is very difficult to break into. Seattle is home to two law schools, Seattle University and University of Washigton. On top of that, Seattle is a desirable place to live for many people although I can't figure out why. I am not sure about government work, but from my friends experiences, breaking into a firm in Seattle is tough. I would look at the surrounding Seattle area as well, Issaquah, Bremerton, Redmond, Renton, Bainbridge Island,Federal Way, ect. Even as far north as Everett and Bellingham.

The market in Washington state overall isn't bad, but you would have to be willing to work outside of Seattle. I would check out the following areas:
Tri Cities* (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco)
Yakima*
Wenatchee*
Moses Lake*
Walla Walla*
Spokane
Pullman
* Fluent Spanish would be very important in this
Area

Native Washingtonian, and IMHO living in any of these bolded places would suck. Eastern Washington is a basically a different state from Western Washington. It's more like Idaho, there's nothing out there and the climate is entirely different. But to each their own! I just wouldn't want out-of-state people thinking Eastern Washington has any resemblance to the Seattle area.

EDIT: just read that OP's SO has Washington ties and probably already knows this, my bad. A Seattleite like myself can't pass up an opportunity to be a snob about Eastern Washington.

Is WA an especially insular legal market?

[Manali]

The market in the Seattle area is very difficult to break into. Seattle is home to two law schools, Seattle University and University of Washigton. On top of that, Seattle is a desirable place to live for many people although I can't figure out why. I am not sure about government work, but from my friends experiences, breaking into a firm in Seattle is tough. I would look at the surrounding Seattle area as well, Issaquah, Bremerton, Redmond, Renton, Bainbridge Island,Federal Way, ect. Even as far north as Everett and Bellingham.

The market in Washington state overall isn't bad, but you would have to be willing to work outside of Seattle. I would check out the following areas:
Tri Cities* (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco)
Yakima*
Wenatchee*
Moses Lake*
Walla Walla*
Spokane
Pullman
* Fluent Spanish would be very important in this
Area

Native Washingtonian, and IMHO living in any of these bolded places would suck. Eastern Washington is a basically a different state from Western Washington. It's more like Idaho, there's nothing out there and the climate is entirely different. But to each their own! I just wouldn't want out-of-state people thinking Eastern Washington has any resemblance to the Seattle area.

EDIT: just read that OP's SO has Washington ties and probably already knows this, my bad. A Seattleite like myself can't pass up an opportunity to be a snob about Eastern Washington.

Is WA an especially insular legal market?

Also, do the WA PD's offices hire pre-bar?

[Manali]

Just set up an informational interview with a WA state public interest attorney. Hopefully she can help me break into the market.