Washington is quickly recovering from a slump in the legal market and shows a lot of potential for rebounding. Boasting a cost of living lower than any of the major markets, Washington is a wonderful place to settle down. Good schools, exclusive neighborhoods, and celebrated coffee and music cultures make Washington an ideal spot for candidates looking to establish themselves in a growing market. The hottest practices are in litigation, products liability, and patent prosecution. Washington has reciprocity with many other states, so if you have three years of experience, you could waive into the bar without taking the Washington Bar exam.
Seattle, like Rome, is a city erected on seven hills. The jewel of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is more than just the home of the famous Space Needle and the Supersonics. The eccentric, artsy Fremont neighborhood in Seattle is the alternative music capital of the world. Seattle's Frank O. Gehry-designed Experience Music Project offers unique exhibits exploring American musical expression from blues and jazz to punk and hip-hop. Their motto: "You don't need to be a rock star to appreciate EMP, but you might leave here feeling like one." To get in touch with the city's roots, Pike Place has been a farmer's market, an arts and crafts fair, and a unique collection of ethnic wares and dishes for 96 years.
The legal market here is composed of many small and mid-sized firms. Attorneys can expect fewer billable hours required than in California, for example. Still, the market is tight and competitive. Only strong candidates will be considered. Many firms seek candidates with ties to the area. For junior or mid-level attorneys, those with three to six years' experience are most marketable. Partners with small books of business can still make it in Seattle. The lawyers and law firms in Seattle are a good mix of the hip and conservative.
It's been said that there is something for everybody here. Litigation, products liability, IP, and real estate are practices that will stay hot even in a bad environment. The corporate market is still sluggish. However, a big turnaround is expected. Typically, a surge in the major markets serves as an indicator that an upswing in the smaller markets is imminent. We've witnessed the legal market in New York bounce back, and we expect big advancements from Washington in the immediate future.
Despite its reputation, Seattle gets less rain annually than Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, or New York. With balmy winters and idyllic summers, Seattle residents have no need for an air conditioner. The downtown area never sees much snow. However, the ski areas in the mountains, as close as an hour away from Seattle, see more snow than anywhere on earth. Seattle's pleasant climate allows for year-round fishing, golfing, hiking, and whale-watching. Exhibiting a balance of a strong economy, a pervasive natural environment, and scientific advancement, Seattle is a city ahead of its time.
The State of Washington’s attractions extend far beyond the lights of Seattle. A thriving recreational, cultural and professional legal scene exists throughout the state, and many Washington cities offer the chance to live in manageable suburbs and even small, rural Pacific Northwest towns.
Seattle’s largest suburb, Bellevue, is located between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish, close to the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Another major Seattle suburb, Tacoma, is a port-city located just south of Seattle. The Port of Tacoma is a major international trade center and the Tacoma area is known for its high-tech companies and livability.
Everett is located on the Puget Sound, north of Seattle. The city is home to a Boeing airplane production facility that is the largest manufacturing building in the world. Snohomish, another Washington city, is located southeast of Everett and known for its historic downtown and Victorian architecture.
To the east of Seattle, getting into the more rural parts of Washington are Fall City and Yakima. Fall City is nestled in the picturesque Snoqualmie Valley, a wonderful place for cycling and enjoying a more country lifestyle. Yakima offers its residents a view of Mount Rainier, the highest mountain in the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Range. Yakima is an urban outpost in an agricultural region known for apple, peach and pear orchards as well as hops production. It is home to several annual fairs and festivals, including the Central Washington State Fair, the Yakima Folklife Festival, and the Fresh Hop Ale Festival.
Vancouver, Washington (not to be confused with Vancouver, British Columbia) is located in the Southwestern portion of the state, on the banks of the Columbia River and just north of Portland, Oregon. A former fur trading post and home to the Chinook and Klickitat nations, today Vancouver is the fourth-largest city in Washington. Home to the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival and a growing downtown Arts District, Vancouver is considered a livable place for singles and families alike.
Spokane is a mid-sized city located on the Eastern edge of the state, just across the Idaho border. Spokane’s cost of living is less than the national average and offers residents abundant recreational opportunities, family-centered activities and affordable neighborhoods.
Kennewick is another city covered by BCG Attorney Search’s Washington State recruiters. Kennewick is located in the state’s Southeastern region, along the Columbia River, and is the most populous of the three cities referred to as the Tri-Cities. Kennewick residents (along with those of other Tri-Cities Pasco and Richland) benefit from easy access to the nearby Yakima and Snake Rivers as well as the Columbia River. Tri-Cities attractions include paddle boarding on the Columbia, walking the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, and wine tasting at hundreds of local wineries.
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Here is a sample of recent law firm placements made by BCG Attorney Search recruiters in Seattle and other Washington cities:
- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
- Alston & Bird LLP
- Arent Fox LLP
- Arnold & Porter LLP
- Baker Botts LLP
- Baker & Hostetler LLP
- Baker & McKenzie LLP
- Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP
- Bingham McCutchen
- Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
- Bryan Cave LLP
- BuckleySandler LLP
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
- Clifford Chance US LLP
- Cooley LLP
- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
- Covington & Burling LLP
- Crowell & Moring LLP
- Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
- Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
- Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
- Dechert LLP
- DLA Piper LLP
- Dorsey & Whitney
- Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
- Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP
- Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
- Fish & Richardson
- Foley & Lardner LLP
- Fox Rothschild LLP
- Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
- Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- Greenberg Traurig
- Haynes and Boone, LLP
- Holland & Knight LLP
- Hunton & Williams LLP
- Jenner & Block
- Jones Day
- Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
- Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
- K&L Gates LLP
- Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
- King & Spalding
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP
- Latham & Watkins LLP
- Littler Mendelson
- Locke Lord LLP
- Loeb & Loeb LLP
- Mayer Brown LLP
- McGuire Woods LLP
- McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
- McKool Smith
- Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC
- Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
- Morrison & Foerster LLP
- Nixon Peabody LLP
- O&O'Melveny & Myers LLP
- Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
- Paul Hastings LLP
- Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP
- Perkins Coie LLP
- Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
- Proskauer Rose, LLP
- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP
- Reed Smith LLP
- Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi LLP
- Ropes & Gray LLP
- Schiff Hardin LLP
- Sedgwick LLP
- Seyfarth Shaw LLP
- Shearman & Sterling LLP
- Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
- Sidley Austin LLP
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
- Squire Sanders
- Steptoe & Johnson LLP
- Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
- Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
- Thompson Hine, LLP
- Troutman Sanders LLP
- Vedder Price PC
- Venable LLP
- Vinson & Elkins LLP
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
- WilmerHale
- White & Case LLP
- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
- Winston & Strawn LLP
BCG Culture of Excellence in Recruiting
Our recruiters have extensive experience in the Seattle and Washington legal markets. We have worked with countless attorneys and have successfully placed candidates with the best law firms in Seattle, the Pacific Northwest and throughout the United States. Many of BCG Attorney Search’s Seattle-area recruiters are attorneys themselves, with law degrees from top law schools and experience working in top firms. Our recruiters understand what it takes to excel in the legal profession and we know what law firms are looking for in the candidates they hire. Our goal is to help create lasting relationships between qualified candidates and law firms in Seattle and throughout Washington State.
The BCG Approach – We Stay With You All the Way
Unlike other recruiting firms, we make a point to get to know each of our candidates face-to-face. Because we were attorneys before recruiters, we know what to look for in a marketable attorney. Our goal is to exceed expectations by getting to know each attorney personally – going far deeper than what is revealed by facts on paper about a candidate’s academic achievements or work history. We walk our attorneys through every step in the recruiting process. This includes making sure our candidates know as much as possible about each firm and making sure they are thoroughly prepared for interviews. We follow up after each interview with both the attorney and the law firm to ensure things went well for both parties and that both parties have the information they need to make future decisions.
Attorney Placements in the Pacific Northwest and the Entire World
BCG recruiters have established lifelong relationships with firms in Seattle, the Pacific Northwest and around the globe. Our recruiters are constantly studying market trends and cultivating relationships with law firms. We know precisely what each law firm is looking for at all times. We take the time to understand in depth each firm’s unique culture, personality and expectations. We want to know that each attorney we send to a law firm can and will succeed, not only for the attorney’s sake but also for the sake of the law firm. We want both parties to thrive as a result of the connection.
Moreover, we maintain a very strict Code of Conduct at BCG Attorney Search. We do not share any information about an attorney with any law firm unless the attorney has given us his or her direct permission to do so. We believe that confidentiality must be maintained at all times.
Our Database Consists of the Best Law Firms and Attorneys
BCG Attorney Search works with the best attorneys and law firms in the world. We have a database that far exceeds that of our competitors and we are confident that we have the most prestigious, qualified attorneys available for Seattle and Pacific Northwest law firms. We go above and beyond to provide access to the best law firm positions for each attorney with whom we work.
Areas of Specialization
Kinds of Placements
Large Law Firm Placements
Mid-Sized Law Firm Placements
Small and Boutique Law Firm Placements
Partner, Of Counsel and Associate Placements
Practice Group Placements
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Additional Links to Resources
A list of recent BCG Attorney Placements may be found at:
https://www.bcgsearch.com/pdf/bcgplacements.pdf.
The BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Reports:
BCG Attorney Search 2019 State of the American Lateral Law Firm Legal Market Report
BCG Attorney Search 2018 State of the American Lateral Law Firm Legal Market Report
2018 Winter State of the Law Firm Hiring Market
2017 Spring State of the Law Firm Hiring Market
BCG Attorney Search 2017 State of the American Lateral Law Firm Legal Market Report
2016 Fall State of the Law Firm Hiring Market
2016 Spring-Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2016 Winter BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2015 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2015 Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2015 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2014 Winter BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2014 Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2014 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2013 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2012 Winter BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2012 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2012 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2011 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2011 Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2011 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2010 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2010 Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2010 Winter BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2009 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2009 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2008 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2008 Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2008 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2007 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2007 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2006 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2006 Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2006 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2006 Winter BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2005 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2005 Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2005 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2005 Winter BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2004 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2004 Spring BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2004 Winter BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2003 Fall BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
2003 Summer BCG Attorney Search State of the Market Report
BCG Attorney Search Guides:
2018 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America's Top 50 Law Schools
2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America's Top 50 Law Schools
2012 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America's Top 50 Law Schools