Portland Legal Employment Overview
Wage growth for lawyers has been positive for 4 consecutive years in Portland, but overall employment growth for lawyers in Portland has been somewhat stagnant with the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data (BLS) showing no increase in lawyers in Portland between 2016-2017. The American Bar Association reports that the legal profession overall in Oregon is growing at a higher rate than the national average, and the Oregon Employment Department concurs, but the numbers for Portland range from flat to slight annual declines. Part of this seems due to the fact that there are quite a few attorneys practicing in Portland who are non-residents of Portland, and an equal amount of residents who are practicing outside the City of Portland.
One possible explanation for the flat legal employment in Portland is that legal spending by business is currently growing faster than the increase in legal jobs. Corporate legal departments are increasingly hiring and spending more on outside counsel and likely accounting for a significant portion of new demand for legal work in Portland. The legal job market in Portland for law firms is still strong on the corporate side but demand seems to have softened for law firms in other practices areas. We are also seeing some demand for lawyers in the government sector , and our clients are willing to pay a premium for experienced government attorneys.
We think there is plenty of potential for more growth in the legal job market in Portland. A lot of the growth has come from the influx of businesses opening offices in Portland, and there is lots of growth in the corporate legal services and labor & employment space. Companies opening offices in Portland don’t always need a corresponding increase in legal services, so opportunities exist for acquisition of existing law firms with practices that align with the business’s needs. In our experience, companies are generally very open to hiring any combination of lawyers and/or law firms in order to meet their legal needs and often do so to great success.
As the legal job market in Portland continues to evolve we will continue to provide updates here on what opportunities are available.
Leading Employers of Lawyers in Portland
Portland’s legal industry is quite dynamic, with many of its employment opportunities arising from its firms, boutique, and otherwise. Here are some of the most reputable firms in Portland that are currently looking to expand their teams.
Lane Powell PC – This full-service law firm has decades-long experience serving clients in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Its Law & Finance Blog recently noted that they have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the 2015 "Best Law Firms" list for 59 practice areas, making them the state’s top firm in this respect.
Tonkon Torp LLP – This full-service firm has several practice groups that cover everything from real estate to technology, securities, corporate governance, and securities transactions. One of the firm’s partners recently ranked third out of 40 lawyers nationwide who represent consumer products companies.
Stoel Rives LLP – With 11 offices located in the Pacific Northwest and California, Stoel Rives is known as one of the country’s top commercial and intellectual property law firms. Their clients include many of the area’s leading companies, private equity firms, and venture funds.
Harrang Long Gary Rudnick P.C. – For over 100 years, Harrang Long has helped some of the largest and most complex business matters in the area. They have particular strengths in tax, land use, and litigation. One of the firm’s attorneys, for example, has been elected into leadership positions in a number of state, national, and international organizations.
These law firms don’t just have a strong reputation, they also have a steady demand for legal talent.
Prominent Positions of Law
Although a vast spectrum of legal services are offered in Portland, there are several specific positions that are more frequently in demand. Corporate attorneys, litigation attorneys, land use attorneys, tax attorneys, intellectual property attorneys, patent attorneys, environmental attorneys, and paralegals comprise the majority of job openings in Portland. Other opportunities are available with the federal government, including attorneys, judges, clerks, hearing examiners, and administrative appeals judges. By way of example, jobs posted on our website for August 2006 include the following:
"Corporate Attorneys: The Firm’s Corporate Practice Group is very busy with M&A work, securities offerings, funds and PE matters, and needs to hire someone who can step into the group and work on sophisticated corporate law issues. Our needs extend to both mid-level attorneys and seniors."
"Litigation Attorneys: Our corporate department has an immediate opening for two to three litigation attorneys to work on various corporate and financial transactions on the District of Columbia campus. The duration of the assignment is expected to be one or two months, but could extend depending on project volume. While on contract, the rate offered will be competitive and will depend on the candidate’s qualifications and experience. Previous experience with EEOC or ADA matters is a plus. A J.D. from a school approved by the American Bar Association with a current license is required, and 2 to 5 years of litigation experience required. This position can be filled by contractor provided the attorney has current ACA certification."
"Paralegals: Our client has an immediate need for a junior Paralegal with 1-2 years of experience. This person will support litigation and HIPAA work. Requires litigation experience. Requires strong written and oral communication skills. Requires proficiency in Microsoft word and excel."
Networking Opportunities for Lawyers
Portland, Oregon, boasts a vibrant legal community that is both welcoming and diverse. There are numerous local networking events and associations that can prove beneficial for those seeking to expand their professional connections and explore new job opportunities.
The Portland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) is a great resource for both legal professionals and those looking to enter the field. The chapter regularly hosts networking events, educational programs, and opportunities to meet and interact with local judges, magistrates, and practitioners from various branches of law. The chapter also provides access to valuable Continuing Legal Education (CLE) resources and support for those taking the Oregon State Bar Exam.
The Multnomah Bar Association (MBA) is another important legal organization in Portland that focuses on leadership, public service, and professional development. Members enjoy access to career workshops, mentorship programs, committees , and volunteer opportunities. Networking events organized by the MBA also provide legal professionals with opportunities to mingle with their peers.
Oregon’s legal community is supported by various affinity bar associations, which aim to promote education, training, and advancement within the legal profession. These groups often host networking events, CLE programs, and other activities focused on specific interests. Some local examples include the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association, Oregon Asian Pacific American Attorneys Association, and the Oregon Women Lawyers.
Additionally, Portland’s legal job market benefits from national legal associations, like the American Bar Association and the National Association for Law Placement. These organizations can provide legal professionals with the tools and resources necessary to further their careers and broaden their understanding of the industry.
Whether through local affinity association meetings, workshops or cocktail hours, Portland’s legal community is an active one, always seeking to foster connections among legal professionals and provide job opportunities to the region’s aspiring attorneys and paralegals.
Legal Education and Training Centers
Portland is home to three law schools, Lewis & Clark law school, Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College, and Willamette University College of Law in nearby Salem, Oregon. All three law schools offer Juris Doctor (JD) degrees for aspiring attorneys. Lewis & Clark also offers Master of Laws (LL.M) and SJD degrees for students who have already obtained their JD. However, being closely situated to several large Universities in neighboring Eugene Oregon, Portland also boasts a diverse number of legal training programs that help aspiring legal professionals earn credentials without obtaining the full four-year JD degree. Harris School of Business’ Criminal Justice Degree Program at Everest College (part of the growing Corinthian Colleges school system) offers a legal studies degree and a paralegal degree. Similar programs are offered by Brown Mackie College, Southeast College of the Healing Arts, and Everest College – Portland Campus. In addition to financial aid and the school’s already competitive tuition rates, for certain programs financial aid may be available in the form of a grant previously established by a successful Portland businessman in order to help low-income families with the cost of getting his daughter through college. Grants of this sort can be used towards tuition and other legal training expenses in many schools throughout the Portland metropolitan area. In addition to legal training programs, Portland is also home to several resources relevant to aspiring attorneys or legal professionals. The law library for Lewis & Clark School of Law is open to the public. The library contains reference materials related to the legal and regulatory issues occurring on local, national, or international levels. It also has a large collection of local law review journals. As with many major universities, Lewis & Clark law school also has a book store which sells books that might not otherwise be available to the general public. The Multnomah Bar Association also offers various resources for local history as well various services to assist local lawyers practicing in the area.
Career Progression and Advancement in Portland
For technology-focused lawyers, there is hardly a better place than Portland. Sure, Silicon Valley has the glamour of the world’s top tech companies, but Portland’s legal industry arguably offers better opportunities on the ground.
If I think about all the top tech companies in the region, Portland companies like Planar and eBay come to mind, not to mention companies like Intel that have significant Portland operations and Cisco that works with many local startups.
Although opportunities are somewhat limited at high-end law firms in Portland for those who want to practice technology law, there are excellent opportunities in existing companies. I strongly suggest that technology lawyers moving back to Portland do not overlook this potential. Some of the large companies have remarkable pay and benefits for in-house legal jobs, and you can hardly beat the work/life balance.
More importantly, technology law firms in Portland are exploding both in terms of the quantity and quality of the firms. I have definitely grown frustrated by the firm such as Stoel Rives, Davis Wright Tremaine and Perkins Coie in Portland which try so hard to be the east coast law firms of the west coast. It will be interesting to see whether they change their approach as competition for top talent increases.
Lathrop GPM in Portland is representative of the elite firms that we are seeing arrive (or arrive in a more significant way) in Portland . Not only did they recently add top local competitors to their firm (Mark Lamson and Jennifer Goodwin), but they were recently recognized by high-performance culture expert Karen Turner. The recognition noted, among other things, as follows: "We’re creating an environment where people come to accomplish great work with a group of colleagues who are among the best in the country."
More elite law firms are going to follow the lead of Lathrop GPM in the months to come, and it certainly would not surprise me if Lathrop GPM one day hires my entire Portland office. That would be an interesting development, especially considering I’ve been here for over 10 years!
Another exciting development is that regional and national firms are continuing to expand their Portland offices. I saw that Perkins recently hired Morgan Phillips from Tonkon Torp. I am sure that job was in the pipeline when Morris Sullivan & Lemkau was in existence as Ruemmler & Curtin had a strong client base. شاید مرگ افتخار بزرگی باشد
Walker warns that as this trend continues and increases, "we will all be competing for tech clients and lawyers."
If you look at the Portland legal market, it’s competitive and getting more competitive by the day. With that being said, it’s quite exciting!
As a result, I expect that the Portland legal market will continue to expand in the future and become more competitive across the board. If you are a Portland attorney, there are definitely more opportunities now than there was even 5-10 years ago.