Richmond’s Legal Job Market
The legal job market in Richmond, Virginia, remains robust. National firms continue to look for Richmond attorneys, and this trend is only likely to continue as larger firms seek to demonstrate their presence in smaller cities and gain access to clients. This makes the Richmond legal market particularly strong among mid-sized firms. Small firms are also doing well as they take advantage of the fact that many law students gravitate toward the national firms. There are of course pockets of weakness as the focus on litigation continues to diminish. In addition , there is little-to-no law firm hiring in the Richmond area outside of government work. Nevertheless, we reported a few months back that Richmond was one of the top 10 cities for U.S. attorneys to live and work in, so the picture in Richmond remains strong.
Leading Law Firms Seeking Talent in the Richmond Area
Richmond is home to a number of large and premier law firms. Some of them are hiring now. Here are some of the law firms that are hiring in Richmond right now and that would be great places to work:
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Hunton Andrews Kurth is a merger of Hunton & Williams and Andrews Kurth. Rather than lose attorneys to a larger firm in their desire for a more global reach, these two firms decided to work together. Hunton Andrews Kurth is now the 68th largest firm in the world.
Woods Rogers
Woods Rogers is also a firm that was a consolidation. It was formed in 1896. Woods Rogers is the largest law firm in Virginia with offices in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Winchester, Richmond, and other cities.
McGuire Woods
McGuire Woods was formed in 1834 as McGuire, Baker, and McGuire. Over the years, McGuire Woods has grown to become one of the largest firms in the area.
Hunton Andrews Kurth, Woods Rogers, and McGuire Woods all have the resources of large firms but the relaxed atmosphere of smaller firms. They are known as great places to work.
Different Types of Positions in Legal Firms
Richmond, VA, offers a diverse array of law career opportunities across various specialties. Corporate law positions are prevalent and come with varying levels of responsibility, from entry-level compliance and contract management roles to senior counsel positions that tackle complex transactional matters. These jobs are often found in-house at Richmond’s growing number of corporate headquarters, but also with local, regional, or national law firms that service business clients with a range of needs.
Criminal defense work also provides a good number of job options in the Richmond area. Public defender offices as well as private defense firms seek out lawyers who are committed to representing clients across the multitude of criminal charges that can arise. The public defender’s office in particular looks to help indigent clients navigate the local court system. Those interested in working on the prosecution side also have opportunities within state or municipal legal offices.
Family law roles are also in demand in this city with its population of around 230,000 people. Many private family law firms handle divorce, custody, adoption, and other related areas. Unlike many other regions, the Richmond area does have a dedicated government-run child protective services office, so this represents another potential employment option for law career hopefuls with an interest in helping at-risk children and families.
In addition to private practice and government work, there are non-profit organizations and public interest groups in the Richmond area. Groups that focus on poverty and need, protecting civil rights, and other issues are always looking for dedicated legal volunteers or staff members. These do not typically pay positions, but permit you to gain experience along with the opportunity to make a positive impact on the local community.
If you love to follow the legislative process, you may want to consider a law career with one of the state government offices. Working for a delegate, senator, or other government official provides a unique window into how the law is made. Clerking for state Supreme Court justices is also an option. These jobs come with a variety of responsibilities, such as helping to research and draft written opinions, performing legal research, and gathering information for oral arguments.
Overall, there’s no shortage of options for law career seekers in Richmond.
Skills and Credentials Needed
The qualifications for different law jobs in Richmond, VA can vary substantially by practice or industry area. Large firms specialize in one or two sectors, but medium sized firms may have a range of practice areas and offer more flexibility. Generally, employers prefer candidates with more than one year of post-law school experience, often looking for four to five years. All lawyers in Richmond, VA are expected to sit for the Virginia state bar, regardless of where they hope to practice, and pass the bar exam. Lawyers must first apply to take the bar, turning in their applications to take the state bar three months before the exam. The bar exam is a two-day, 16-hour test that reviews topics like civil and criminal procedure and constitutional law. Once a candidate has passed the bar, they must be sworn in by the Supreme Court of Virginia to practice law. Immediate relatives of Virginia lawyers can apply to use the law degree to take the bar exam, as long as their principal residence is in the state of Virginia. Lawyers today are not just legal experts, but are also expected to have a command over technology, knowing how to work both case management software, office productivity tools and some proprietary tools specific to particular sectors. Effective communication skills, including the ability to write for legal briefs and memos, deliver clear oral communication and advocate for clients are paramount.
Professional Associations and Networking
In today’s competitive job market, networking and building professional connections is one of the most effective ways to advance your law career in Richmond, VA. By attending local legal events, you can meet other attorneys and professionals from prestigious law firms around the city, plus connect with people who are hiring now. As a bonus, you’ll gain valuable insight into the state and direction of the legal market in Richmond and the surrounding region. To start, we recommend joining the following leading legal associations and professional groups: As a member of these organizations , you’ll have access to informative seminars, job listings, networking events, and other career-boosting opportunities. The days of relying on job ads alone are long-gone, which means that you need to adopt a proactive approach to your job search through networking and professional involvement. As you build your network of legal contacts, consider working with trusted legal recruiters like those here at Legal Search Solutions. We’re well-known in the Richmond legal community—and beyond—and can connect you with both firms and corporate legal departments that are hiring for legal positions in Richmond, Virginia.
Legal Salary Information
In Richmond, law professionals can expect varying salaries depending on their specific titles, specialties, and the demand for their services. The median annual salary for all lawyers in the Richmond region is $117,536. Legal occupations have generally experienced earnings growth over the past decade, though the employment supports of Richmond City and Henrico County have increased the most, driving wages upward.
Pay for legal occupations in Richmond, VA is competitive. For a staff attorney, the average salary is 70,000 to 89,000 with an additional 60,000 in bonuses, while the salary for a private practice of counsel ranges from 95,000 to 125,000 with a bonus of between 2,500 and 40,000. The average partner in a small law firm has a similar salary and bonuses, while a partner in a large firm averages 220,000.
Compensation can be affected by a few different things in Richmond and central Virginia. In general, larger firms and Fortune 500 companies, typically concentrated in the city of Richmond, pay the best overall compensation to their lawyers and legal professionals. Although Henrico has considerably more legal opportunities than other municipalities in the area, these jobs are, for the most part, smaller law firms associated with a smaller legal market overall.
Tips for Gaining Employment in Richmond’s Law Firms
Richmond, the capital city and the most populous municipality in Virginia, has a sizable legal job market compared to other cities. The Richmond, VA area supports a wide variety of national law firms and regional firms, including Becker, Pitman, and McGuireWoods among others. As such, the capital city in central Virginia hires both new legal graduates and experienced attorneys.
The state bar has around 30,000 licensed attorneys practicing law in Richmond, VA proper. Another 12,000 practice on the outskirts around Chesterfield, Glen Allen, Petersburg, and Midlothian. On average, there are 160-180 active job postings, according to Simply Hired. Top employers include large firms such as McGuire Woods and K & L Gates, government organizations, and corporations including WestRock, Anthem, Capital One, and Genworth Corp . The efficiency of the salary range in Richmond is slightly higher than the national average, creating more opportunities for competitive pay.
If you’re wondering how to proceed with your job search in Richmond, VA, here are several tips: These tips will help you land a well-paid legal position relative to cost of living in the area. Keep in mind, the unemployment rate is 3.7% which is below the national average and indicates a full recovery from the recession. For example, the Virginia Employment Commission projects that by 2022 there will likely be 118,740 employed lawyers to 116,388 total lawyer positions, reflecting healthy growth as new firms continue to emerge around the Richmond, VA area.