With talk of the law school bubble, outsourcing, and changing business models in legal services, it can sometimes be hard to get straight information on just where everyday lawyers are practicing. For this reason we’ve looked at Census and Bureau of Labor statistics data to pinpoint the top 50 legal markets in the US (by number of firms). We also used information from Martindale and other employment sites to pinpoint the largest legal specialties in each given location. Let’s take a look at the 50 best locations for legal jobs in America.
- Los Angeles County, California: The nation’s first county of over 10 million residents is the king of legal markets. With entertainment and intellectual property law as two notable specialties. As well as maritime law firms due to the port of Los Angeles.
- Population: 10 million
- Number of law firms: 7,107
- Cook County, Illinois: This massive Chicago market is home to almost any type of law firm you could imagine. Notable specializations include immigration law, business law, and intellectual property law . The Cook County Bar Association is the oldest black bar association in the country and a notable organization in civil rights and racial issues.
- Population: 5.2 million
- Number of law firms: 4,275
- New York County, New York: Unsurprisingly, Manhattan leads the nation with number of Commercial Law, International, and Investment law. While there are a great number of law firms of every stripe, Media Law, Entertainment Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law all feature heavily in New York County.
- Population: 1.6 million
- Number of law firms: 3,826
- Miami-Dade County, Florida: Miami’s status as a sophisticated gateway city for Latin American business boosts international and business law. Commercial Law, Insurance, and Wills and Estates feature heavily in Miami’s legal market according to Martindale.
- Population: 2.6 million
- Number of law firms: 3478
- Harris County, Texas: Commercial law, construction, intellectual property, and labor and employment law are some of the most popular specializations in Harris County. Houston houses one of the nation’s most dynamic economies, particularly in healthcare, logistics, and energy. This propels the legal economy in related roles.
- Population: 4.3 million
- Number of law firms: 2846
- Orange County, California: Adjacent to the number one Los Angeles County above, Orange County shares many specialties. 24 sections of the Orange County Bar Association meet regularly. With specializations in Intellectual Property, International, and Entertainment Law.
- Population:3.1 million
- Number of law firms: 2536
- Broward County, Florida: Home to Fort Lauderdale and the 18th-most populous county in the US, Broward County is home to a well-diversified legal economy including 25 sections of their local bar association. Personal Injury, Business and Corporate, Real Estate, and Products Liability Law are the most popular specialties according to number of firms in each area.
- Population: 1.8 Million
- Number of law firms: 2,316
- San Diego County, California: San Diego County is a hotspot for Intellectual Property, Business, Construction, and Corporate Law. Check out legal openings here.
- Population: 3.2 million
- Number of law firms: 2214
- Dallas County, Texas: The ninth most populous county in the US holds one of the largest concentrations of corporate headquarters for publicly traded companies in the US, with 12 Fortune 500 companies, and 20 if you include the broader region. Large employers include Texas Instruments, AT&T, ExxonMobil, and Commercial Metals. The largest legal specialization areas for Dallas County include commercial, business, personal injury and criminal law. Check out the Dallas Bar Association career center here for a more detailed look at legal openings.
- Population: 2.5 million
- Number of law firms: 1,994
- Maricopa County, Arizona: Home to Phoenix, and nearly 4 million residents, Maricopa County has a large number of international corporations, tons of students, and a large number of retirees. According to Martindale Trust and Estate, Family, Insurance, Personal Injury, Commercial and Business Law are the most popular specializations.
- Population: 3.9 million
- Number of law firms: 1941
- Nassau County, New York: Nassau County, home to the suburban Long Island and over 1 million residents has it’s fair share of many legal disciplines. While less media and intellectual property law than more urban New York Counties, the local bar association does hold 50 committees ranging from animal law to first amendment and labor and employment law. According to Martindale real estate and corporate law are the most popular specializations in Nassau County.
- Population: 1.3 million
- Number of law firms: 1,807
- Palm Beach County, Florida: Home to West Palm Beach, retirees, and tourism, Palm Beach County offers a number of firms focusing on zoning, business law, government and real estate. The Palm Beach County Bar Association offers committees on 29 practice areas.
- Population: 1.4 million
- Number of law firms: 1,713
- King County, Washington: Home to Seattle and one of our largest trade hubs with Canada and Asian nations, King County offers numerous opportunities in international, corporate, and maritime law. The booming tech ecosystem ensures a number of intellectual property jobs. Check out legal listings here.
- Population: 2 million
- Number of law firms: 1,650
- Oakland County, Michigan: While perhaps not as well known as it’s neighbor Detroit in Wayne County, Oakland County is one of the ten highest income counties in America with populations over one million. As home to some of the largest employers in engineering and tech, there are a number of legal opportunities. Check out Oakland County Bar Association’s job board here.
- Population: 1.2 million
- Number of law firms:1,360
- Fulton County, Georgia: The county holding 90% of Atlanta is home to tons of multi-national corporations, Fortune 500 companies, and legal opportunities. Insurance, bankruptcy, torts, real estate, intellectual property, and labor and employment law are popular specializations according to Martindale’s legal listings.
- Population: 977,773
- Number of law firms: 1,344
- San Francisco County, California: Besides being the new center of Silicon Valley, and the corresponding intellectual property and corporate law openings, San Francisco is also the financial hub of the west coast. While tech and information jobs brought in $9.2 billion in wages in 2012, this was still a smaller portion of San Francisco’s economy than financial, legal, and accounting sectors. Check out some of the legal jobs open in San Fransisco here.
- Population: 837,442
- Number of law firms: 1,262
- District of Columbia: Washington DC, as a proxy for the whole nation, is run by lawyers. Factoring in think tanks, public service, and government agencies, there are tons of legal opportunities in D.C. that can’t be had anywhere else. According to Martindale, some of the larger specializations include white collar crime, securities, media, labor and employment, investment, international, intellectual property, insurance, commercial, and appellate law. Check out some of Washington D.C.’s legal job postings here.
- Population: 632,323
- Number of law firms:1,219
- Hillsborough County, Florida: Home to Tampa as well as other smaller towns, Hillsborough County features a diversified economy centering around agriculture, tourism, education & health services, and trade, transportation and utilities. Commercial law, medical malpractice, products liability, and health care law are the largest concentrations of specializations. Check out legal openings in Hillsborough County here.
- Population: 1.3 million
- Number of law firms: 1,177
- Clark County, Nevada: Home to Las Vegas and a large chunk of surrounding land, Clark County has booming tourism, gaming, and development industries. Currently, contracts and litigation attorneys are in demand in Las Vegas. For a look at current job listings, click here.
- Population: 2 million
- Number of law firms: 1,131
- Orange County, Florida: Home to Orlando “the City Beautiful” and “the theme park capital of the world,” also has the 7th largest research park in the nation. With over 53,000 tech workers, and a number of multinational corporations, Orlando is an economic powerhouse and great place for a legal career. Business, commercial and personal injury law are some of the bigger specializations in the Orlando area, yet a wide variety of opportunities are available attached to the tech, shipping, and aerospace sectors.
- Population: 1.2 million
- Number of law firms: 1,095
- Denver County, Colorado: The “mile-high city” is the 18th largest metro economy in the US thanks to its crucial location for trade and distribution between the midwest and west coast, as well as many multinational and Fortune 500 companies. Business, commercial, corporate, real estate, and trusts and estates law are the most prominent specializations for Denver County. Colorado’s economy is one of the healthiest in the nation, pushing the need for legal services in complementary roles.
- Population: 649,495
- Number of law firms: 1,082
- Suffolk County, New York: Though Long Island isn’t home to the mass of industry in its neighboring New York counties, Suffolk county has long been renowned for affluence and high standard of living. Correspondingly, real estate, estates & trust, and commercial law are the most popular specializations. Though broad ranging specializations are represented in the county as seen in the Suffolk County Bar Association’s periodical.
- Population: 1.5 million
- Number of law firms:1,055
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania: Home to Philadelphia, the 5th most populous city in the US, Philadelphia County has one of the nation’s longest legal lineages. Philadelphia also has the 4th largest GDP of American cities, with a huge consumer media market, several Fortune 500 companies, and large industry in information tech, manufacturing, oil refining, food processing, financial services, health care and biotechnology. The largest legal specializations include commercial law, personal injury, insurance, and business law. Check out the bar reporter online, a weekly brief from the Philadelphia Bar Association for more up to date info on legal fields in Philly.
- Population: 1.5 million
- Number of law firms: 1,049
- Hennepin County, Minnesota: Home to Minneapolis and one of the 100 highest-earning counties in America, Hennepin County boasts the second largest economy in the midwest after Chicago. Finance, healthcare, and tech sectors are thriving, and several Fortune 500 companies call the county home. The largest specializations in the county include business law, intellectual property, labor and employment, and real estate law. The Hennepin County Bar Association offers a wide variety of advice and aid for youn or relocting lawyers.
- Population:1.2 million
- Number of law firms: 1,020
- Travis County, Texas: Home to Austin, Texas–city ranked by Forbes as one of the best for future job creation (2014)– Travis County is one of the nation’s destinations for high tech and research. Couple this with Austin’s role as the capital of Texas and the result is a booming legal economy for the city’s size. Business law ,commercial law ,real estate, corporate, and administration law are all popular specializations.
- Population: 1.1 million
- Number of law firms:1,105
- Suffolk County, Massachusetts: Home to Boston, one of the 30th most economically powerful cities in the world, as well as many top universities, Suffolk County is a bastion of opportunity and talent. Status as the state capital and a home to regional federal agencies and think tanks provide numerous legal opportunities. One of the largest tech hubs in the country, Boston also provides a good number of intellectual property laws. Myriad specializations are represented in Boston, including Business, corporate, intellectual property, labor and management, and real estate. Check out legal postings in Boston here.
- Population:1.5 million
- Number of law firms: 1,004
- Bexar County, Texas: Home to San Antonio, Bexar County’s economy is focused on military, health care, financial services, oil, gas, and tourism. Commercial law, criminal law, family law, insurance, labor and employment and trusts and estates law are the largest specializations in San Antonio. Check out the San Antonio Bar Association career center here.
- Population: 1.8 million
- Number of law firms: 979
- Santa Clara County, California: One of the most affluent counties in the US is home to San Jose, Cupertino, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara (amongst other towns), placing the county in the center of Silicon Valley. Unsurprisingly, intellectual property and corporate law are far and away the most popular specializations in the county. Check out the Santa Clara Bar Association career center here.
- Population: 1.8 million
- Number of law firms:955
- Westchester County, New York: Directly north of New York City, and one of the fifty wealthiest counties in America, Westchester County consists of 48 towns and holds its seat in White Plains. Listed as the third best place to live in New York State by real estate brokerage firm Movoto, White Plains offers a number of large employers like ITT, Xylem, Bunge, Combe, Nine West, and Fifth Street Finance corp, offering legal opportunities outside of New York City. Westchester County’s unique mixture of small townships and major cities is reflected in the diverse offerings of the Westchester County Bar Association whose membership includes everything from sole practicioners to counsel for multi-national corporations.
- Population: 961,670
- Number of law firms: 929
- Oklahoma County, Oklahoma: The capital of Oklahoma is situated in the middle of an active oil field, and features one of the largest livestock markets in the world. Correspondingly, natural resource, corporate, energy, personal injury, and real estate law are the largest specialization areas in the city. The Oklahoma Bar Association’s attorney placement service reflects the broad specialization base of the region and connects attornies with firms who need their expertise.
- Population: 741,781
- Number of law firms: 926
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio: Cleveland is home to a large number of corporate headquarters, one of the nation’s premier hospitals, and a biotech research center and incubator. Business, commercial, corporate, personal injury, intellectual property, real estate, and products liability law are the largest legal specializations in the county. Check out a sampling of legal jobs in Cuyahoga County here.
- Population: 1.3 million
- Number of law firms: 921
- Sacramento County, California: Home to the state capitol of California, Sacramento has been voted the “most diverse city” in America by Time magazine. Local and state government, healthcare, and Intel are some of the largest economic players in the area. As well as agriculture–as part of the Central Valley–being in one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions. Personal injury, zoning, planning and land use, workers comp, personal injury, construction, and environmental law are some of the largest specializations in the region.
- Population: 1.5 million
- Number of law firms: 911
- Middlesex County, Massachusetts: Starting at the western edge of Boston, Middlesex County is the tenth ranked US county for number of millionaires. With over 40 townships in the county, there are tons of local legal offices, with specializations in intellectual property, real estate, estate and trust, and corporate law prevalent. Check out the MIddlesex County Bar Association here.
- Population:823,041
- Number of law firms:902
- Multnomah County, Oregon: Home to Portland, a city known for quirkiness, natural beauty, and good coffee, Multnomah County is home to “Silicon Forest,” a Fortune 500 company, and tons of North American corporate headquarters. Intel is the largest employer in the region, and helps support 1,200 tech firms in the region. Other notable employers center around athletic and footwear manufacturers, including Nike, Adidas, Columbia Sportswear, Hi-Tech Sports, and Under Armour. Popular legal specializations include business law, real estate, personal injury, criminal law, construction, insurance, environmental, labor and employment law. Check out the Multnomah County Bar Association job list here.
- Population: 759,256
- Number of law firms: 860
- Tarrant County, Texas: Part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area, Tarrant county surrounds Fort Worth. Major employers in this well-diversified economy include American Airlines Group, Pier 1 Imports, RadioShack, and Lockheed Martin. Business, corporate, probate, real estate, personal injury and trusts and estates law are the largest specialties within the region. Check out legal job openings in the Fort Worth area here.
- Population: 1.9 million
- Number of law firms: 817
- Bergen County, New Jersey: New Jersey’s most populous county is also one of the wealthiest counties in America, and directly across George Washington Bridge from Manhattan. Top industries in Bergen County include retail, health care, professional, scientific, and technical services, wholesale trade, and manufacturing. A range of specializations prevelent in the region can be seen on the Bergen County Bar Association’s committee list.
- Population: 918,888
- Number of law firms: 807
- Pinellas County, Florida: With the counties largest city being St. Petersburg, Pinellas county is a portion of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area. High quality of life, tourist destination status, and a highly skilled workforce make Pinellas County a highly diversified and lucrative economic power. Two Fortune 500 companies call the area home, and the area is known as Florida’s hub for big data. Other industries include aviation/aerospace, defense/national security, medtech, finance, and information technology. Personal injury, real estate, trusts and estates, and insurance law are the largest legal specializations in the region. Check out the St. Petersburg Bar Association here, and the Clearwater Bar Association here for more detailed local information.
- Population: 921,319
- Number of law firms:800
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: Home to Pittsburgh and a number of smaller towns, Allegheny County is in the top 10 for headquarters of Fortune 500 companies, has the second busiest inland port in the nation, and a lot of heavy industry. Defense contractors, U.S. Steel, PNC Financial Services, PPG Industries, and H.J. Heinz are all headquartered in Pittsburgh. The most popular legal specializations include personal injury, real estate, trusts and estates, criminal law, business, corporate, construction and appellate practice law. Check out the Allegheny County Bar Association Career Services page here.
- Population: 1.2 million
- Number of law firms: 754
- Franklin County, Ohio: Home to Columbus and one of the nation’s largest universities, the county seat of Franklin County received an “A” ranking from Forbes for being a business friendly city last year. Four Fortune 500 companies call Columbus home, and a well diversified economy with everything from high finance to defense, to technology, kept the city from being hit hard during the recession. Business, corporate, personal injury, labor and employment, taxation, and trusts and estates law are the regions largest specializations. Check out the Columbus Bar Association career page here.
- Population: 1.2 million
- Number of law firms: 734
- Alameda County, California: Across the bay from San Francisco, Alameda county includes Berkeley and Oakland within its borders. Oakland is home to booming industry as the 5th biggest port in the nation. The city is also the fifth ranked city for tech entrepreneurs by venture capital investment. Berkeley offers a large education and research sector, and is the birthplace of several nationally recognized brands. Top legal specializations in the region include labor and employment, real estate, insurance, construction law, personal injury, and intellectual property law. Check out the Alameda County Bar Association’s specialization sections here.
- Population: 1.6 million
- Number of law firms: 702
- Montgomery County, Maryland: Located just north of Washington D.C, and southwest of Baltimore, Montgomery is one of the most affluent counties in the US, and one of the most well-educated counties in the US as well. Montgomery county is an important biotech, medical research, and government research center. Other large firms based in the county include Marriott International, Discovery Communications, Ritz-Carlton, Lockheed Martin, and Coventry Health Care. The US Department of Health and Human Services is the county’s largest employer. Legal specializations popular in the county include corporate, business, trusts and estates, real estate, and investment law. Check out the county’s polished and regularly updated site here.
- Population: 1 million
- Number of law firms: 697
- Essex County, New Jersey: Home to Newark, the largest city in the state of New Jersey, Essex County is home to a number of white-collar jobs including insurance, finance, imports and exports, heath care, and government. Commercial, labor and employment, insurance, and real estate law and large specializations in the region. A number of other specializations are also present as seen by the Essex County Bar Association committees here.
- Population: 787,744
- Number of law firms: 697
- St. Louis County, Missouri: St. Louis County borders the city of St. Louis, but does not include it. The county’s largest employment sectors include education and health, trade and transportation and professional business services. The county also has the highest per capita income in the state, a strong tech market, and the world’s largest concentration of plant science Phds. Most popular specializations in the county include corporate, commercial, intellectual property and business law. Check out the St. Louis County Bar Association job listings here.
- Population: 1 million
- Number of law firms: 690
- Fairfield County, Connecticut: Fairfield county is home to Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk and Danbury. Through the 1980’s and 90’s Fairfield county housed the headquarters of 25 major multinational companies, for the third largest concentration of major companies in the nation. Today many investment management firms are in the area.Correspondingly, some of the most popular specializations in the region are corporate, mergers and aquisitions, securities, government, and personal injury law. Check out the Fairfield County Bar Association page here.
- Population: 933,835
- Number of law firms: 676
- Duval County, Florida: Home to Jacksonville, the largest city in the state of Florida, the county is also home to the largest deepwater port in the south, making the region a transportation and distribution hub. Over recent years, the economy has diversified as well, with companies focusing in financial services, biotech, consumer goods, information services, manufacturing and research. Four Fortune 500 companies call Jacksonville home, as well as several military facilities (the largest employer). Top legal specializations for the county include personal injury, real estate, family, criminal, and taxation law. Check out the Jacksonville Bar Association Careers page here.
- Population: 879,602
- Number of law firms: 669
- Salt Lake County, Utah: Home to Utah’s state capital Salt Lake City, a great outdoor city and economic powerhouse. Salt Lake City is home to one Fortune 500 company, and two Fortune 1000 companies. In nearby suburbs, large presences from tech companies including Adobe, eBay, Unisys, Intel, L-3 Communications and 3M are present. The most popular legal specializations in the county include real estate, personal injury, family, criminal, commercial, corporate, business, bankruptcy, and intellectual property law. Check out the Salt Lake County Bar Association here for more information on local legal happenings.
- Population: 1.1 million
- Number of law firms: 665
- Queens County, New York: Queens has the second-largest economy in New York City, and the most diversified economy of the five boroughs. Industry includes health care, retail, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and entertainment. Two of New York City’s three major airports are in Queens. Real estate, personal injury, trusts and estates, family and bankruptcy law are some of the most popular specializations in Queens. Check out the Queens County Bar Association job board here.
- Population: 2.3 million
- Number of law firms: 655
- King’s County, New York: Sharing boundaries with Brooklyn, King’s County is the second most populated county in the US. Brooklyn’s economy is vast and multifaceted, with a combination of small businesses, back offices for corporations elsewhere in the city, construction and services industry. Popular legal specializations include real estate, litigation, personal injury, trusts and estates, and criminal law. Check out the Brooklyn Bar Association here for more local information.
- Population: 2.6 million
- Number of law firms: 651
- Hartford County Connecticut: Unsurprisingly, Hartford is the largest town in Hartford County, making the county an international center for the insurance industry. The large insurance companies that have major operations in Hartford include Travelers, Aetna, The Hartford, The Phoenix Companies, CIGNA and UnitedHealthcare. Hartford is also a center for medical care, research, and education. Popular legal specializations in the county include business, insurance, personal injury, and labor and employment law. Check out the Hartford County Bar Association here for more local information.
- Population: 897,259
- Number of law firms: 647
- Dupage County, Illinois: One of the wealthiest counties in the nation is home to 5 Fortune 500 companies, and 7 Fortune 1000 companies as the primary location of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. Popular legal specializations in the county include real estate, family, corporate, and business law. Check out the Dupage County Bar Association here for more local information.
- Population: 927,987
- Number of law firms:645
Related:
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO NATIONAL PARALEGAL ASSOCIATIONS
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO STATE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATIONS
