Understanding the Spokane Legal Job Market: Trends and Opportunities

Spokane Legal Landscape: An Overview

The Spokane legal landscape, much like the natural beauty of the region, is diverse and multi-faceted. The legal industry here is a microcosm of the larger Pacific Northwest legal community, with many of the same players and areas of focus. However, at the city level, a distinct character and composition has emerged. The largest employers in the region fall into three categories: in-house legal departments, local law firms, and governmental agencies.
By far, the greatest number of attorneys in the region are employed by regional branches of national law firms. These firms, including semi-nationwide firms, provide a good mix of opportunities at various levels of experience. At least six large national firms have offices in Spokane or Coeur d’Alene. These include attorneys from passionate local practices to nationally recognized practices on the cutting edge of their industries.
Local firms also account for a significant portion of the attorneys in the region. Continental 331 and Bullivant Houser Bailey PC represent slightly more than 10% of the attorney population in Spokane , followed closely by Witherspoon ∙ Kelley ahead of other local firms. These firms focus on multiple areas, including banking, employment, litigation, real estate, environmental, and legislative law.
In-house departments are also a major component of the legal community in Spokane. Opportunities at Boeing, Itron, and U.S. Bank, as well as in-house departments for local firms are also available.
While government positions and opportunities at non-profit organizations are not the primary source of legal employment in Spokane, they do provide another resource for the legal community. Local government legal departments and the Washington Attorney General offer clear career paths for the more senior attorneys in the region.
While relatively few, judges and magistrates also make up a small percentage of the legal community. The federal courts and state, municipal, and tribal courts all have offices in Spokane.

Major Employers in Spokane’s Legal Sector

As the largest city in Eastern Washington, Spokane is home to a vibrant legal community where numerous employers seek skilled legal professionals to serve a variety of needs. A mix of law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies contribute to a diverse job market for legal talent. Leading the pack, there are some 27 large law firms operating bilingual practice groups from downtown Spokane that keep busy with a diverse client base. Among the major players are Witherspoon Brajcich McPhee & Egnor, LLP and Kanter & Konstantinous, PS, who regularly advertise for qualified candidates for open positions in estate planning, civil litigation, family law, and real estate. Although a number of smaller firms are located in the city, many professional associates choose to go into private practice, particularly in estate planning or family law, where flexible schedules are available to allow for court appearances or handling client needs during regular business hours. Some established corporate players also operate a branch office from Spokane. For example, Safeco Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeco Corporation, seeks in-house counsel to provide a range of legal advice. It is currently advertising for corporate counsel specializing in litigation and intellectual property. Other corporate players include Thrivent Financial, Avista Utilities, and Empire Health Services, Inc. At the other end of the employment spectrum, numerous local government agencies hire contract attorneys to fulfill various roles within a very active legal community, especially in the field of civil rights. Recent additions include the Spokane Airport Board, Spokane Housing Authority, and Spokane Val Verde Intercommunity Irrigation Tenderfeet, which seeks to hire a general practice attorney. Volunteers for Legal Services (VLS) has been serving residents for over a quarter of a century, providing the opportunity for newly admitted lawyers and new members of the bar to obtain training and experience by offering them a means of gaining experience while serving the community through pro bono work. Other important government employers include Adjutant General, Ethics Office, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Spokane Tribe Housing Authority.

Legal Positions in Demand

The job market for attorneys who have just passed the bar is robust in Spokane these days. The majority of entry-level positions require at least a year of experience, however, so individuals coming directly out of law school will have to apply to positions in which they can prove their acquired legal skills. Most small firms are interested in attorneys with some knowledge or hands-on experience at previous firms, or in-house positions.
Paralegals enjoy many of the same benefits that attorneys do with respect to position availability in Spokane. The demand for paralegals in Washington is high; paralegals can expect to earn considerably higher salaries here than in many other states. As with attorneys, preference is usually given to applicants with experience or volunteering at non-profits willing to offer any opportunities available.
Larger Spokane law firms are interested in specialized paralegals and will offer higher salaries for those with additional experience over the average paralegal. Some of the work these paralegals perform is similar to attorneys, as some of these paralegals have to sit up for depositions and trials (since they can cross-examine witnesses during trial), while many paralegals cannot represent their law firm at these events.
There are also many types of law clerks in Spokane. These law clerks are typically part-time or temporary positions (or both) working for overburdened solo practitioners or law offices in need of a helping hand. Although they are not typical full-time employees, they do gain valuable experience in these positions.
Other legal positions include legal assistants, legal administrative support professionals, legal intake specialists and legal office assistants. These legal positions are required to support attorneys and paralegals. Administrative support professionals generally manage multiple tasks, set appointments, and coordinate the activities of the legal team with which they work. Legal intake specialists are frequently assigned to fate prospects for that law firm to help limit the amount of time attorneys need to spend interviewing prospective clients for legal services.

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Qualifications vary depending on the position here in Spokane and can run from associates, partners and managing partners for attorney positions to paralegal and legal assistant positions. Obviously, there are a variety of other positions like receptionist, legal secretary, librarian, investigator, social worker, etc., and these positions often require (or are assumed to require) a College degree and relevant experience as well as excellent references, previous experience and a strong resume and cover letter. Federal positions in the United States Attorney’s office and other positions with Federal law enforcement agencies (FBI, ATF, SBI, etc.) also require a College degree and other factors such as a clean record, passing of a polygraph and maybe a medical exam and/or background investigation.
For positions requiring an attorney, one generally needs a JD degree as well as being licensed by the Washington State Bar and possibly by Idaho, Oregon or several other States where the position might require some travel in addition to local work in Spokane. Entry level associate positions will often times start at $30-$60K. More experienced attorneys will often have salaries in the $100s of $1,000s depending on the position, experience and many factors. Higher positions can generate $200K and much higher salaries dependent on firm, experience, skill, contacts, etc. The positions can be with governmental or private agencies and very large firms or smaller affiliates that have a particular type of specialty practice area. Some firms have in excess of 100 attorneys while others fall in the range of 5-20 attorneys.
For many paralegal and legal assistant positions, the requirements will be a 2 or 4 year college education with relevant experience in law offices, loss mitigation, law enforcement or similar environments. They may require advanced degrees with specialized interests as well. Pay ranges can often vary from below $30K a year to above $80K a year depending on experience and duties. Many high quality paralegals will have special certifications or licenses in forensic investigations, bankruptcy etc., making them highly sought after and valuable. In some cases, the positions may be with governmental bodies, private law firms or research groups for example.
Administrative positions such as receptionists, secretaries, investigators, law clerks, librarians, paralegals, social workers and investigative support fall under the same requirements as others. These positions can have very different salaries and benefits packages, dependent on specific duties, level of experience, and many other related factors. Some positions can be for very large firms with many employees or smaller entities and practices. These are typically entry level positions that can lead to growth within the organization. These can be with governmental organizations, investigative agencies or large private practices in many fields.

Finding Work: Job Search Tips

Job seekers should use a range of techniques to locate open positions in legal organizations in Spokane. A comprehensive approach will involve applying through online portals, but applicants must not restrict themselves to these online postings. Instead, networking and relationship building can accelerate a passive job search that will often lead to the best possibilities. Opportunities are not always advertised on job boards or organizational websites in Spokane, and some of the best positions are never posted, given they are filled before the recruitment process begins. First, job seekers should identify the organizations that work in their practice area, or locations where they may want to move or spend some time . Major firms and employers may have recruitment consultants or search firms, or they may have internal recruiters and open positions that may be posted on their own sites. Networking through personal connections or social media can reveal many of these opportunities. Going through a staffing or recruitment firm is another possibility, although there may be significant fees associated with this route, and not all firms will take candidates through this process. Finally, job seekers can develop personal connections through social networks such as LinkedIn to view potential opportunities and connect through groups with people who have similar interests in law and business development.

Current Trends Affecting Legal Employment in Spokane

Several trends are impacting the legal job market in Spokane. The biggest difference from 10 years ago is that all job searches are now done online. The first place a law firm knows about a potential candidate is the candidate’s application. Attorneys no longer rely on networking efforts to get them an interview—you need to put in the work to send out the applications online before the networking starts. It is tough to get someone out for coffee now when you could just drop off your resume.
Another big change to the market is that firms no longer have a lawyer in their office that acts as a recruiter. Ten years ago, you got a lot more responses to your resume—now, the response emails usually just inform you that you are not being considered further for the position. Now, you will get more responses from firms like mine than ever before, but only when we are actively working on a search for a particular position. This is also a change from years past, when you could just send your resume out to everyone and anything, and someone would write you back directly.
Another big trend that is impacting the Spokane legal market is the growth in legal specialty areas. Austint P’s last report from 2018 shows tremendous growth in the areas of cybersecurity/privacy (growth of 20.51 percent), energy/public utilities (18.56 percent), government compliance (18.03 percent), healthcare (16.41 percent), law firm income/financial strategies (10.49 percent), and immigration (10.45 percent). Other notable fields are environmental law (9.41 percent), insurance fraud (8.68 percent), alternative dispute resolution (7.09 percent), insurance coverage (6.71 percent), and litigation/e-discovery (6.08 percent). Of course, none of these areas impact the legal market in Spokane. There are many healthcare opportunities, though, especially for nurses with JDs, but those are rare—if the right candidate came along, we would be happy to pitch you to our healthcare clients, but we haven’t had one yet. Email to let us know if you would like to be considered for a healthcare legal position, though, and we will come back to it if we find someone who is suitable.
The Spokane market has seen a slight increase in demand for attorneys this year versus last, and we see continued upward growth in several practice areas that are of interest in the Spokane market. Now, with a new chief judge in the Eastern District of Washington, we hope we can see more of a change in the federal practice in Spokane. The civil docket has been about as stagnant as you can get for the past several years, and we would love to see some new cases coming in.

Salary and Career Advancement

The salary ranges for legal positions in Spokane tend to be commensurate with those of similarly sized markets in the region. In 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the mean wage for legal occupations in Washington State was approximately $67,000, which is fairly consistent with salaries in Spokane.
Entry-level positions as paralegals or legal secretaries typically offer starting salaries in the range of $40,000 to $55,000, depending on the firm’s practice area and the complexity of its focus. Experienced lawyers can expect starting salaries in the range of $80,000 to $100,000. Those working with larger firms, especially those with a national scope, may enjoy starting salaries even higher than $100,000. Those associates who excel in their first few years with a firm can expect to be offered a partnership within three years.
Spokane has several large firms with a regional or even national practice. These firms often pay salaries in line with larger markets. For example, attorneys at big firms in the Seattle/Tacoma area may earn in the range of $150,000 to $200,000, depending on experience. However, the cost of living in Seattle is significantly higher than in Spokane, balancing the equation somewhat.
When it comes to career growth in the legal field, the most common trajectory is for attorneys to move from associate to partner. Associates are expected to do high-quality work, gain experience and then develop a reputation among clients, colleagues and within the community to demonstrate their value to the firm at a level commensurate with the income that they generate. Partners, who become part owners and share in the profits, take on additional responsibilities and more often lead on important matters or in certain fields of law.
Of course, opportunities for advancement will depend on the type of employment. Private-sector employment with a big firm offers the best opportunities for growth, followed by in-house employment with large companies. Firms on the Fortune 500 list as well as energy companies and agribusiness firms tend to recruit aggressively in Spokane.
Most public-sector legal jobs are staffing local, state or federal offices, and while there may be some room for advancement to a different position within the organization, there is not a lot of upward mobility.
Many lawyers ultimately go into business for themselves and retire as solo practitioners, but the trend has often been for those who do so to become more involved in cases they find interesting and rewarding, focusing on work-life balance over maximizing income and enterprise. Statistically, solo practitioners showed a large jump in the proportion of women among lawyers, which suggests that women are opting for greater independence in their careers out of consideration for factors other than salary.

Local Perspectives: Spokane Lawyers

The local legal community in Spokane is as welcoming as it is competitive. According to several attorneys and legal experts, networking and continual professional development are key components of this legal landscape. One seasoned attorney, practicing in Spokane for over a decade, emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with mentors. She explains, "Having someone with more experience guide you through your earlier years can save you from making some of the common mistakes that many inexperienced attorneys face."
The value of community is further echoed by a law firm partner in the city. "Spokane is a tight-knit community. While we are serious about our work, we also know how to enjoy our achievements and forge friendships that go beyond the office." This statement resonates with younger professionals who aim to uphold the balance between work requirements and a personal life . It also highlights that the Spokane community is a small but powerful legal market.
Spokane has seen growth in paralegal and support positions. Law firms of all sizes have full-time support staff on hand to help manage their caseloads and administrative tasks. Spokane local Andrew Kuhlman, who has been practicing in his own firm for nearly 10 years, discusses this trend: "We have full-time legal assistants, paralegals, and case managers to help us in the firm so we don’t have to get distracted by non-legal tasks—we can focus on our legal work."
To enter the competitive landscape of work in Spokane, the need for excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and an understanding of the local law is required. There is also a desire for commitment to the community. Spokane values its homegrown talent.