Although the best jobs for lawyers are mainly in big cities, not all lawyers want to live in a big city. AdvisorSmith segmented our study into small (population less than 150,000), medium (population 150,000-500,000) and large (population over 500,000) to highlight the different lifestyles available to lawyers. The main decision to make is which school to attend or change. Limiting your search to a handful of schools, the cost of living, and the reputation of the school are other factors that law students should look for before making a decision. San Francisco tops the best city rankings for lawyers, with lawyers earning the second highest median salary of $168,990, which helps offset the high cost of living. Even first-year associate lawyers earn an average salary of $70,529, which is $6,000 more than the national average. As one of the five California cities in our top 25, San Francisco overcomes the highest cost of living — it`s 100% more expensive to live here than the average American city — and climbs to No. 2 overall. Lawyers earn an average annual salary of $171.91 here to cover their expenses; only nearby Silicon Valley lawyers earn more, with an annual mark of $201,240. First-year employees at large, reputable companies could expect to earn $160,000 in the first 12 months of their employment. I have so many that I would be willing to live, and it`s harder to decide where to go to school. So I was just wondering what everyone thought/what your main decisions are! Check out the interactive map below to see the average salaries of lawyers in different cities across the United States.

As this spring semester draws to a close and a new academic year approaches, law and return students decide on the next step. For many young people who are just out of school, Boston gets an A+ in cool. It is deeply rooted in American history and offers cultural diversity, world-class educational and medical facilities, plenty of leisure opportunities, quick access to the beach and mountains for hiking not too far. And don`t forget the experience of watching the Red Sox play at Fenway Park, the popular relic of 1912 that is the oldest baseball field in the big leagues. Attending law school in Texas opens up many opportunities in the state itself. Because Texas is such a big state, you can go to law school in one city and end up practicing pretty easily in another part of the state. A number of major international law firms have opened offices in Boston, including Ropes & Gray LLP, with a particularly high demand for lawyers specializing in life sciences and technology. While the median wage isn`t as high as in other major cities, the lower cost of living makes it an attractive prospect.

I chose ND because it gave me the most national reach and I was between Chicago and SF. I love both cities and they are the best cities imo A place with a high median salary and low cost of living may seem perfect, but job opportunities may be limited. Our third factor explains this by favoring cities with high location rates. The location quotient measures the concentration of lawyers in a region as a percentage of all occupations and then compares them to the national average. We interpret a higher location quotient as a relatively higher demand for the services of a lawyer. You may not be as familiar with this small Southern California town, but it has earned its place in the top 10 cities thanks to its low cost of living coupled with a relatively high median salary of $150,000. Lawyers have a bad reputation. You also get a good salary. The 603,310 lawyers employed in the United States in May 2014 earned an average of $133,470, or an hourly wage of $64.17, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their cost of living and location quotient also depend heavily on where they work.

These are the three key metrics used by ValuePenguin to determine which U.S. cities are the best places for these specialized professionals (more information on our methodology below). As the political epicenter of the country, Washington has the highest location quotient among the top 10 cities, making it the best location in terms of job application and number of lawyers. Washington also has nine times more lawyers per capita than New York, making it a great place to network and learn from other accomplished lawyers. DC is home to six law schools, and at the top of the list is Georgetown University with an acceptance rate of 24.5% and a No. 17 ranking of all law schools in the country. Proximity to the Supreme Court and other federal agencies is a major draw for many law students. Close to the regularly ranked Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Boston beat Los Angeles in fifth place.

LA actually has nearly twice as many jobs as Boston, as well as an average annual salary of $20,000 more than its East Coast competitor, but Boston has gained an advantage with a significantly higher location quotient. These two cities, like the four listed above, have hosted their fair share of legal drama series on television, as “Boston Legal” is a favorite of some of the lawyers we interviewed. Here you will find the highest paying and highest paying jobs in the industry. Denver, one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. over the past decade, has also benefited from a growing customer base in the legal market. Denver`s legal population is also the third fastest growing in the country, according to a 2019 report. One of the benefits of studying law is that, as long as you can pass the bar exam, you can practice in any state you want after graduating from law school. If the whole country is open to you, how do you choose a place to set up your practice? Boston University Law School is the highest ranked — ranked No. 19 — of the city`s three legal programs. Compared to the other five schools on this list, Boston U offers the most financial support, with 90.9% of their student body receiving support. If time is not on your side, you also have the option of a part-time program.

Using our data, we`ve compiled lists of the top 20 and worst cities for lawyers to give you a better idea of how different the legal industry is across the country. Phoenix, Arizona, is a city of 200 golf courses, the largest non-profit zoo in the United States and annual events that celebrate the city`s diversity and unique culture. Students will experience the warmest weather in this city with a desert climate compared to the other listed cities. Preparing for life in this city includes shorts, flip-flops and shirts made of lightweight material. In your opinion, in which cities are the best for the practice of law? Or what are your favorite cities? The City of Angels is not only one of the best cities for the arts industry, but also the third best city for lawyers. Proximity to the burgeoning entertainment industry increases potential opportunities to practice entertainment or media law. If you end up getting big clients like Netflix or Paramount Pictures, you could earn more than $180,000 as a senior entertainment lawyer. With the entire state of California expected to have an employment growth rate of 3.5%, there will also be a plethora of opportunities in small towns like Oxnard.

The city`s growing commercial and real estate markets also offer opportunities to practice in these areas. “After graduating with a JD with a concentration in Litigation from Western Michigan University (in 2012), I found it pretty easy (to get hired) because I went from a student, an articling student, then a articling student, and finally a lawyer in the same law firm. I know others are not so lucky. I was very lucky. While students are in school, they have to hire all the lawyers they interact with – I`ve received job offers and internship offers at baseball games in ten states. You need to treat it as a network this way. StartClass makes it much easier to compare these six schools with this overview. It even compares the average temperature between different cities! Hopefully, this list will give you better options that you may not have considered yet. Don`t forget to compare your own school choices to choose the best city for you. The best place to live for law students is chosen based on specific factors such as each individual`s financial ability.

Different cities offer different opportunities for new and practicing lawyers, whether you`re considering becoming a partner, specializing in specific areas of law, or starting your own law firm. When choosing a city where you want to practice your craft, choose the place that best suits your career goals and lifestyle preferences. Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, is becoming a food center where grills are the focus and Asian, Hispanic and Southern dishes are also on the menu. U.S. News & World Report named it one of the top 10 cities for foodies in the country. Houston also has the lowest cost of living index (62.9) on the list.