Foreign attorney / legal jobs (Boston: lawyers, job market, salary)

[DurbanLawyer]

Hi All

Hoping someone can be of assistance.

Essentially, what are the chances of me being employed by a law firm, or a large corporate in the Boston area?

I am a South African qualified attorney (member of two of our bar associations). I have experience at one of our top tier firms and recently with a medium size firm. I have a two year masters degree in Regulatory law (cyber and media law) as well as a South African bachelors 4 year law degree. I have completed two years of articles of clerkship (mandatory in South Africa after the 4 year degree) and have around 4 years post clerkship experience.

I appear to be eligible to sit the Boston bar exam. Assuming (and these are massive assumptions), I get my green card and pass the MA bar exam, what do you think my chances of decent employment? What sort of salary could I expect? What is the legal job market like at the moment?

Is there anything I can start doing now to make myself more marketable?

Sorry for all the questions

Thanks for any help.

[tickybox]

The legal markets are glutted. Maybe it will be better by the time you have gotten a green card, and passed the Bar, but most firms are cutting lawyers, not hiring, and recent law graduates have miserable expectations at the moment. I watched a friend & recent grad spend the last 18 months searching unsuccessfully for a position.

I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's hard, and I would certainly want to have an emergency fall back plan at the moment if you are planning to move here.