Summary of the Sacramento Legal Profession
The Sacramento legal job market has experienced positive momentum in recent years, though the post-recession market has been uneven. On the whole, Sacramento’s legal market remains active, with healthy competition for hiring top talent, but city officials and many industry experts still argue that the legal sector has not recovered from the recession.
The Sacramento Business Journal reported that the market in Sacramento for legal counsel "has shown signs of stronger demand" in 2016. Specifically, law offices in Sacramento are on a hiring spree. Staffing reports from 2016 indicate that through the third quarter, firms increased memberships by 20 attorneys, compared to a net increase of 40 members for all of 2015. This follows a flat 2015. Additionally, paralegals, legal secretaries, and other business professionals have helped push the Sacramento market to "one of the busiest years in the past five years."
Two major factors have contributed to the upward trend in the region: the recognition of a strong job market in Sacramento by attorneys and law firms across the country, and the expansion of the United States court system. The federal courts in Sacramento recently hired six new magistrates to adjudicate civil cases from the Ninth Circuit.
Internally, the Sacramento region has seen the legal field amplify because of national trends in the industry. The California employment outlook for 2016 was promising for the legal talent pool , which is expected to grow by 7% over the next several years. Of course, the perceived stability and growth in Sacramento of the legal market has contributed greatly to these local trends.
California has long been known as a hub for top legal talent, attracting many new attorneys to its shores every year. More recently, however, the state has continued to attract the attention of national and international firms and companies seeking to expand their markets and reach out to the area. Rather than opening a location in Silicon Valley or Los Angeles, where most corporate expansions would logically be headed, company representatives are opening offices in Sacramento where regional government offices are slightly more accessible.
This is great news for the law firms in the area. Locally, industry experts believe that there are four practice areas experiencing a revival in recent years. These sectors are: family law, mediation, personal injury and intellectual property. Each of these areas has seen tremendous growth in recent years as the city has been able to attract new talent to the area. Given the historical affiliation of Sacramento with the California capital, the city is often recognized by outside companies as one that can provide a high quality legal talent pool to draw from.
Leading Employers and Firms
Sacramento hosts a myriad of legal job opportunities, both in-house and at law firms of all sizes. Large firms such as Morrison Foerster, DLA Piper, and McDonough Holland & Allen PC are all present and can be great opportunities for young associates across a range of practice areas and experience levels. Smaller firms and boutique firms such as Hutchison & Steffen, Elliott Pomeroy are also active in the legal community in Sacramento and have had great success recruiting significant talent over the last few years.
In addition to law firms, Sacramento has a number of government agencies and non-profit organizations focused on a variety of practice areas ranging from child welfare, healthcare law, and even traditional litigation. There is a robust government in Sacramento with plenty of opportunities for associates and senior attorneys alike.
For those interested in the massive private sector or entertainment industry (including medical records), there are many opportunities for high level attorneys, from non-profit to health care to real estate. Sacramento is an appealing city for many of the aforementioned employers, as the government plays a substantial role in the economy here.
Critical Skills and Qualifications
When considering a career in law, there are certain skills and qualifications that are vital for securing job opportunities. For aspiring attorneys in Sacramento, a deep familiarity with various areas of law, strong communication skills, and exceptional analytical and problem-solving capabilities are essential. Many employers prefer a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school, along with the successful completion of the Bar exam to practice in the state of California.
Attorneys are often at the forefront of the justice system and must be able to think on their feet, strategize effectively, and present arguments persuasively. The following skills are highly coveted by law firms and other legal employers:
Certifications and specialized training in areas such as tax law, intellectual property rights, and family law can make job seekers even more appealing to potential employers. Law school degrees are typically required for most legal positions in Sacramento, but advanced degrees in certain fields such as business or accounting are also advantageous.
Internships, clerkships, and other professional experience during law school are invaluable for qualifying for desirable positions as an attorney. In addition, legal assistants and paralegals are often required to hold associates degrees or certifications from an accredited institution. Prior work experience is also typically required for these positions.
Network for Opportunities
Legal recruiters in Sacramento can facilitate the job search process by connecting legal professionals with firms and other employers in their area of specialty. Job seekers in the legal field should network with fellow attorneys, law school peers, and other legal professionals to build relationships that may lead to future opportunities.
Key Professional Organizations and Networking Resources
The legal profession is not simply limited to law schools or law firms. In fact, the legal professionals working for companies, NGOs, and the government are potentially great options for those seeking to find legal positions in Sacramento. This can include those who have positions in human resources, risk management, compliance, or even entry-level attorneys finding their way into these companies. Keeping in mind that many attorneys have become judges, prosecutors, and politicians, it’s also important to note that many of these other professionals have different backgrounds, and that a wealth of opportunities are available outside of more traditional legal positions.
Often, who you know makes all the difference when applying for jobs. For this reason, you may want to consider networking through a number of professional and law-related associations and groups in the area . These may help you get to know like-minded professionals in your area and expand upon your career at the same time. A few of the legal and law-related associations and professional groups in the Sacramento area include:
Of course, this is just a short list of just some of the professional law-related organizations in the Sacramento area. There are many more. For example, there is the Sacramento Area Paralegal Association (SAPA), which serves paralegals, law students, and recent graduates in the Sacramento region. There’s also the Sacramento Area Social Security Attorneys Network (SASSAN), the American Immigration Lawyers Association – Northern California, and the Association of Attorney Mediators in Sacramento (AAMS). Simply consider the type of legal job you’d like to get and how you might be able to build a network, and you’ll have an abundance of options to choose from.
How to Search for Jobs in Sacramento
When seeking legal job opportunities in Sacramento, it is important to utilize strategies that are consistent with the characteristics of the local job market. One way to approach this is to focus on online job boards that feature Sacramento legal openings. Nationally recognized job search platforms such as Monster, Indeed, and LinkedIn have a number of Sacramento job listings and can be used as a primary resource for those looking for legal employment in the region. Employment law attorneys and those who staff legal firms regularly use these sites for their applicants and hires; thus, they are a good resource for jobseekers.
Local recruitment agencies are another excellent way to find Sacramento employment. Because they are localized, legal staffing agencies will have an intimate knowledge of the legal market in Sacramento, the firms there, and their hiring trends. Staffing agencies are always looking for qualified applicants for firms in your area. Such recruitment agencies are usually staffed by professionals who are also familiar with the employment lawyers and law clerk positions available within their wider region.
Beyond simply identifying the availability of jobs, jobseekers must be strategic in applying to legal openings in Sacramento. For instance, even if a position requires a specific degree, sometimes a firm will be willing to accept applicants with significant work experience combined with lesser degrees. When writing cover letters or submitting CVs, applicants should strongly consider adding that their experience might offset a lack of formal credentials. In addition, considering that Sacramento has several state agencies, applicants with public employment experience are likely to be sought after by local employers, even those in private law firms.
Anticipated Compensation and Perks
The legal job market in Sacramento, like most metropolitan areas, offers a broad spectrum of salary ranges. Although public sector positions in the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s Office only pay in the $65,000 – $75,000 dollar range and are generally limited to candidates who have either worked in those offices as a law clerk or have completed a federal judicial clerkship, the district courts and federal defender’s office readily compensate their law clerks in the $75,000 – $85,000 dollar range. The California Court of Appeal pays law clerks between $74,000 and $84,000; the U.S. Bankruptcy Court generally pays either at the bottom of that range ($74,000) or just above it ($78,000). Both the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California (which houses its main courthouse in Sacramento) and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (which operates a satellite courthouse in San Jose, one hour south of Sacramento) pay law clerks $90,000 per year. Of course, federal judicial vacancies occur relatively infrequently and these courts generally only consider highly accomplished candidates for clerkships.
Starting salaries for first or second year associate attorneys at private firms within the City of Sacramento range from $105,000 for lawyers with no or limited experience (e.g., recent law school graduates or candidates with an L.L.M. who work during law school but have no post-grad experience as a lawyer) to $160,000 for candidates with 3+ years of experience (e.g. , candidates with one year of experience as a judicial law clerk and two years experience as a practicing attorney, but zero post-J.D. experience), and $180,000 for applicants in this experience tier at the top five or so firms in the City of Sacramento. The difference between and among these firms’ salaries and that of comparably sized firms located in the San Francisco and Los Angeles metro areas is that, generally speaking, Sacramento firms pay lower salaries simply because the cost of living in Sacramento is lower than in those two cities.
Beyond salary, law firms also offer additional benefits. For example, health insurance premiums are typically paid by the firm. In lieu of a stipend, many firms pay the full cost of attending two or three professional development programs per year (e.g., ABA annual meetings, regional or other CLEs, APALSA conferences, etc.). At many firms, the initiation fees for two or more bars are also paid by the law firm. Firms may also pay for membership in certain non-bar-related organizations.
Other firms offer their associates entrance into retail and business programs that provide discounted and upgraded products and services. Such programs include GE Appliances "GE Advantage" where a discount is provided on most GE appliances, and Verizon’s "Verizon Advantage Program" where a discounted rate is offered for wireless service. Another firm offers its attorneys discounted memberships in AAA, CostCo, and the Palm Springs area’s desert resorts, as well as discounted or free tickets to local theater and sporting events.