Legal Career Pathways in San Diego

An Overview of the Legal Job Market in San Diego

San Diego is only behind LA and the Bay Area for the highest number of attorneys employed in California. And while it has slightly declined over the years, San Diego is still home to a relatively high rate of firms. In recent years, markets have been tightening up for associates and now more firms are looking for an increased amount of experience of 4-7 years to make lateral hires, as opposed to the usual 2-3 years of experience required in the past. Different areas of law have seen a subsequent fluctuation in firm hiring. Areas such as IP , labor and employment, healthcare, and trusts and estates are all in high demand for attorneys to fill their needs. Other areas of law like business and litigation have seen a plateau in hiring, as firms are taking in fewer associates than they have in previous years. Generally, the legal job market in San Diego has become less competitive for employers. There has been a decline in applicants per position over the past couple of years. However, it remains competitive within the market itself.

Key Employers in the San Diego Legal Market

The San Diego employment market for legal professionals, including both attorneys and support staff, is primarily driven by the demand for law firm and corporate legal department staffing. San Diego has a number of popular California law firms that primarily support Northern California offices, but they hire local attorneys for the San Diego offices. Two notable examples are Pillsburw Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati with offices in La Jolla.
The largest employers of legal professionals, both attorney and support staff in San Diego, are in-house corporate legal departments, chiefly with companies engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of consumer products and services. The top employers includes SDG&E, Qualcomm, Solar Turbines, Copelco, LG International America, and NuVasive.
The most common legal practice specialty areas offered by San Diego employers for legal professionals include:
The most common job titles for legal professionals include:
The major government agencies that hire legal professionals in San Diego include CALPERS Urban California Coalition, City of San Diego, County of San Diego, Fair Employment & Housing Association, the Office of Counsel General and Social Security Administration.

Different Kinds of Legal Positions

Types of Legal Jobs Available in San Diego
Legal career opportunities in San Diego range from associate attorneys at law firms and corporate counsel in large or mid-sized companies to paralegals, legal assistants, legal consultants, legal project managers, and legal secretaries in law firms or companies. There are various types of associate attorneys including litigation, labor and employment, intellectual property, privacy, mergers and acquisitions, trusts and estates, environmental, healthcare, and more. Multiple firms are opening offices in the area and hiring attorneys. Lateral partners are also being hired by firms opening offices in San Diego and obtaining business to bring to the firm. Clients of California firms are requesting that their lawyers in the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices also offer services in California’s metropolitan areas of San Diego and Orange County, much as many New York firms have done over the years in opening offices in Florida.
Many local firms are seeking local attorney talent to add to their firm which is why they may be sensitive to attorney remote work requests. There are also ways that remote attorneys in other markets can have a local presence and bill San Diego rates at a firm with no local office. Companies also hire in-house counsel and local firms to support them. Many of the largest firms may continue to offer remote options for attorneys in their San Diego offices and some of the smaller firms may offer this opportunity as well.
Paralegals also find employment opportunities at local law firms and companies. Other types of paralegal employers include insurance companies, real estate firms, government agencies, and nonprofits. Paralegals can also work for themselves (freelance paralegals). There are also various types of paralegal specialties including corporate, litigation, bankruptcy, personal injury, family law, estate planning, patent, and environmental paralegals. San Diego has a robust paralegal community and the profession is highly respected and well-compensated. The paralegal market is growing along with a popular trend in which paralegals assume more responsibility.
Law clerks, or temporary attorneys, are also typically employed at large law firms. Legal assistants primarily support the administrative functions of lawyers in a legal office by performing various office tasks. Legal assistants are typically employed at small to mid-sized law firms. Legal assistants commonly perform a mix of administrative and paralegal functions. Legal consultants offer expert advice to companies regarding matters requiring specialized knowledge. Senior legal consultants assist corporations with implemented strategies to solve complex problems and adjust to changes. They identify new opportunities for their clients.

Compensation in Legal Careers

Lawyers practicing in San Diego should not expect to receive salaries anywhere near the levels received by attorneys in New York, Washington D.C. or even Los Angeles. However, San Diego-based legal professionals still earn decent money for what can be a generally stressful profession under normal circumstances.
Let’s take a quick look at the average salaries earned by legal professionals in San Diego County. A legal secretary, a position common in a larger firm, will earn an average of $53,000 per year. In-house counsel will earn about $100,000. More court-room oriented jobs involve public defenders and prosecutors—the biggest law firms (of which there are few in San Diego) pay these attorneys about $94,000, but government legal professionals receive salaries of less than half that amount ($38,500). Large personal injury firms recruit attorneys with compensation packages averaging $75,000.
Now, San Diego is quite a high cost of living city, which does account for some of these high salary averages. The median home price for a San Diego resident is indeed over $600,000, while the typical household income stands at $78,000. The unemployment rate belongs around the national average of 5.4 percent.
For legal professionals, the lowest salaries earned in the city belong to paralegals, who bring in an average income of $41,000. Law clerks, by comparison, earn about only $52,000. There are two large law schools located in San Diego County; ranked in order of quality, the University of San Diego and California Western School of Law are the region’s primary educational institutions.
On the high end of the pay scale, judges simply earn more than their private-sector counterparts, receiving an average salary of $147,000 per year. Although this examination is no substitute for an independent salary study, we can estimate the following salaries for certain positions: partner $145,000, associate $89,000, paralegal $41,000, compliance specialist $73,000, contract analyst $74,000, litigation support $55,000, litigation manager $59,000, practice assistant $48,000, and data analyst $68,000.
Recent studies have shown that average salaries in Los Angeles have risen slightly, as have lawyer salaries in Orange County. Although attorneys in San Diego may not receive salaries anywhere near as substantial as those attorney’s with positions in Los Angeles or Orange County, the salaries offered in San Diego are quite competitive, all things considered.

Qualifications and Academic Recommendations

In order to embark on a legal career in San Diego, one must complete the appropriate educational requirements. Most legal professionals have earned at least a bachelor’s degree. Many legal professionals have advanced degrees in either law or additional areas of study. For instance, an attorney has earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Aspiring attorneys must pass the California Bar Exam to become licensed to practice in the state. The exam takes two days to complete .
While many legal professionals attend one of the notable local law schools, such as Thomas Jefferson School of Law and University of San Diego School of Law, others have opted for obtaining their education at top law schools across the country, including Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, and Stanford Law School.
Most legal professionals should also possess highly-developed skills in research, orally and written communication, and negotiation and advocacy. Obtaining practical work experience through internships and externships is important as well. A breadth of knowledge about the legal field as a whole is key, especially staying abreast of legal industry trends and news.

Professional Affiliations and Networking

Consider joining a legal association or participating in committees where you can network with industry professionals with similar educational backgrounds. Law360 reported "Outside Counsel and Inside In-House Counsel Diversity Rankings," which help identify top law firms with diverse employees, and "Diversity Snapshot: 2018 Law Firm Diversity," a comprehensive guide to compare law firms with diversity in mind. These resources can help boost your resume if you are in a diverse practice area.
Review the CBA San Diego calendar. Some programs of interest are:
The CBA Lawyers Club of San Diego calendar also provides networking opportunities, including:
Networking with peers allows you to expand your network and strengthen your career.
In addition to in-person networking opportunities, use technology to connect with peers. LinkedIn is a widely used tool by professionals, so keep your profile updated and join active networking groups to expand your contacts. Additionally, try to connect with attorneys you interact with on local attorney groups on LawSnap or Verifynetwork. These app-based platforms help you stay connected with more ease than traditional referral forms. However, it is important to remember to exercise your professional judgment and vet attorneys before referring business to ensure a mutually beneficial relationship.
Use these resources to maximize career growth in the legal industry.

Opportunities and Obstacles in San Diego Legal Careers

Commonly, San Diego legal professionals face many of the same challenges as legal professionals in other regions. However, the legal landscape of this gorgeous coastal city also presents a few region-specific obstacles. High housing and rental costs, for instance, can be a struggle for many in the community. At the same time, San Diego legal professionals have access to many unique opportunities for career enhancement. With a wealth of natural resources at their disposal , San Diego lawyers work to handle a myriad of environment-related legal cases. Throughout the region, real estate attorneys also have ample opportunities to practice their craft. Many of the most prominent San Diego law firms consider experience more valuable than a prestigious degree or title. From the perspective of these firms, experience means everything. Those who take the time to further develop their professional skills and resume will undoubtedly find that the job offers come rolling in.