Will Washington State Become An Underserved Legal Market?

There is so much bad news on the job market for law graduates that it takes more than the basic premise that it’s hard to find a good job to be newsworthy.  Check out this story from the Puget Sound Business Journal via KOMOnews.com (Seattle’s ABC news outlet).  It describes the crisis in Washington State where older lawyers are leaving the profession at a rate faster than they can be replaced.  The number of attorneys admitted to the bar between 2007 and 2011 fell by 13% to a figure of 1,148. 

In addition, a survey by the Washington State Bar Association found that 7,200 members, about a quarter, are thinking of retiring in the next five years.  The article quotes additional figures suggesting other losses to the number of attorneys practicing in Washington State over time.  Some of this is driven by Boomers leaving the profession and the lower number of students applying for law school.

I wouldn’t exactly call this good news for recent graduates.  On the other hand, dismal job prospects may not last forever.  Still, one has to follow the jobs where they are located rather than where desired.  Anyone considering Seattle shouldn’t worry about the rain.  The city gets less rain on the average (36.2 inches annually) than New York City (40.3 inches annually).  [MG]