The Legal Employment Market in Philadelphia
Currently, there are more than 70,000 people employed in the legal sector in Philadelphia, PA, with vacancies for more than 7,000 positions, reflecting the 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This represents a growing number of opportunities for those seeking legal work in the city, which serves as the headquarters for 16 major law firms and a large number of corporate counsel departments, non-profits, and government agencies.
The firms in the region provide a range of practice areas to their clients, including but not limited to business law, intellectual property, conflict resolution, and employment law. Specifically , some of the most well-regarded firms in the city include: Ballard Spahr LLP; Dechert LLP; Morgan Lewis; Fox Rothschild LLP; and Dilworth Paxson LLP.
The demand for attorneys in the state has grown by about 2.3 percent since 2016, creating opportunities across a wide variety of industries. The legal services sector is projected to grow by 6 percent over the next 10 years, and the number of firms with more than 100 lawyers has increased by 4.3 percent during the same time period. As in many regions across the nation, the legal industry remains competitive in the Philadelphia area, with only limited expansion and associated employment growth, finding its strength through retention rather than attrition.
The Various Types of Legal Jobs
Types of Legal Positions Available in Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, plays a crucial role in the center of the legal universe, with its high concentration of courts, universities and public interest organizations. The law firm market in the "City of Brotherly Love" is large and diverse, offering practice in many areas such as intellectual property, employment, health care and litigation. Although the perception is that the legal job market is tight throughout the country, litigation firms continue to grow their staff, and while real estate firms are not hiring as aggressively as they have in the past, this has created positions in other areas. Despite the economic downturn, the Philadelphia legal market is competitive, so candidates need to be well-qualified. Philadelphia law firms continue to seek top talent from the Midwest and East Coast. Attorneys with strong credentials from the top-tier law schools are generally in demand, especially those with practice groups that focus on corporate, real estate or IP. Regional and national firms are interested in candidates with connections to potential clients. Positions are available for experienced associates, particularly those with big firm experience. Highly ambitious law students at top schools are able to find positions, as well. Mid-size and smaller firms have become increasingly competitive, and are often willing to increase starting salaries to match larger firms, but they tend to have more flexible schedules. The in-house market in Philadelphia is robust and continues to experience growth. Many major corporations and local companies have set up their legal departments in Philadelphia, and there has been a commensurate rise in demand for in-house attorneys. In-house attorneys are paid higher salaries than those in private practice, and generally enjoy more regular hours. They also see less travel than those in private practice. City law schools provide strong local competition. The University of Pennsylvania ranks second among U.S. law schools, and Temple University is among the top 50. The Drexel University School of Law is also attracting attention, and its co-op program is similar to the program at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, which has a high placement rate.
Law Firms Hiring in Philadelphia
Several law firms are currently hiring in Philadelphia:
Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC
Founded in 1969, this mid-sized firm provides its attorneys the opportunity to be close to senior management in a collaborative environment. The firm has a full-time employment and recruiting staff that is committed to hire only the best attorneys and staff. Areas of practice include: transactions, litigation, intellectual property, construction, and administration.
Duane Morris LLP
This rapidly-growing large firm, located in large cities across the U.S. and overseas provides experience as well as a collaborative working environment. The majority of clients are repeat clients who appreciate the firm’s business-savvy counsel. Legal areas of experience include intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, telecommunications, and real estate.
Baker & Hostetler
This national firm, with offices in Philadelphia and 5 other major US cities, affords its attorneys the opportunity to work on sophisticated and sophisticated matters while allowing a great work-life balance. With a comfortable dress code and featured on the Best Places to Work Lists by the Business Times and Workplace Dynamics, this firm is known for its supportive, collaborative culture. Areas of legal specialization include tax, intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, and data privacy.
Ballard Spahr
As a firm that provides a diverse group of professionals in a supportive and team-based culture, this mid-sized to large firm attracts attorneys from prestigious schools who all pull together to achieve the same goal. In addition, the firm offers a number of incentives such as tuition reimbursement, bonuses, and reduced hours on certain Fridays. Areas of legal practice include litigation, intellectual property, business and corporate law, land use and real estate, employment and labor, and immigration.
Becoming Qualified for Legal Employment
To qualify for legal jobs in Philadelphia, individuals must generally meet specific educational and certification standards, the details of which can vary by position. In most cases, lawyers must hold Juris Doctor degrees in addition to passing the state bar exam. Applicants who successfully complete the Pennsylvania bar exam will also have the option of practicing law in Delaware, New York, New Jersey or Ohio. As of 2014, numerous top-tier law firms employed a total of just under 19,000 legal professionals in the Philadelphia area .
Most other legal professionals, including paralegals, court reporters, mediators, legal assistants and legal secretaries also require at least a bachelor’s degree people who wish to practice law. Specialized training is offered through several area colleges and universities with legal training programs.
Continuing legal education is a requirement for the maintenance of legal certifications, as is the ability to pass necessary examinations.
Networking and Professional Associations
Professional networking has always played a large role in the hiring process for legal professionals in Philadelphia, PA. Traditionally, legal jobs in Philadelphia, PA have been filled by leveraging relationships with local attorneys and legal professionals. Over the years this process has become much more difficult for the average attorney or legal professional, but it does not have to be.
Most major legal associations are present in Philadelphia, PA. The Philadelphia chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) provides a number of networking opportunities each year and is well respected both nationally and internationally. The Philadelphia chapter of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) is known as The James A. Byrne Federal Bar Association.
Many Philadelphia legal professionals recommend the Penn ProfiNetwork, an online professional networking resource for the Philadelphia region exclusively for Penn alumni, which provides a number of unique professional resources.
The FBA, ACC and Penn are only three of the professional resources available to Philadelphia, PA connected legal professionals. We recommend using these resources both for networking events and to keep up with news and information about the latest happenings in the legal industry.
Legal Job Search Tips
For attorneys looking to join the marketplace, successful job hunting in the legal field in Philadelphia is often a challenge. There are some very good local resources that will help you "get your foot in the door" at an area law firm, or government office.
In some respects legal job placement is similar to a job search anywhere else; it is important to be patient but persistent. Of course there are a few things that are somewhat unique to the legal industry; most law firms will not have their associates submit a CV in anticipation of an interview. While there is no "perfect" resume, your resume should describe job experience in terms of skills gained and how they should apply to this new position at this specific firm.
Anticipate the interview. Practice with a friend and remember that the person interviewing you has probably seen it all before. They know how to spot someone who is lying to them , and they also know how to question them effectively to find out what they want to know about you. Make sure you know how to answer commonly asked interview questions, and stay calm when you don’t quite remember the answer. It is not the end of the world "lost my train of thought", and like any good attorney you will be able to get back the train either before the end of the interview or soon after you leave.
The more skills you can offer to an attorney firm, the better. Consider continuing your education. If your resume is impressive, you will usually get a call back after you submit your resume for legal jobs in PA. If you are impressed with the call back, you might find that the work is worth the effort. Good luck!