Legal jobs (Tampa, St. Petersburg: lawyer, house, job market)

[tresjolie3]

Does anyone know what the job market is like in the legal field in the Tampa Bay area?

[jessiesma]

please be more specific. are you an atty or an admin person? There are tons of big law firms. Just check Martindale Hubbell. In addition to all the local courts, there is a Federal Court House in Tampa. There have been a couple of high profile cases there in the past few years related to Homeland Security.
We also have a major port so there is admiralty law and everything in between

Originally Posted by tresjolie3

Does anyone know what the job market is like in the legal field in the Tampa Bay area?

[tresjolie3]

More specifically, I am an attorney who is admitted in a state other than Florida. Because there is no reciprocity with other states, I wil need to work in a non-attorney position until I take and pass the Florida Bar Exam. Thanks.

[jessiesma]

how about some sort of position at Stetson Law School? Also St. Petersburg College has an ABA certified paralegal BS program. Maybe you could teach. Tampa is full of personal injury firms and they are so overworked that they will train assistants in some of them. It may not be much for an admitted atty. but it's a start. You know where to go from here. Best wishes.

Originally Posted by tresjolie3

More specifically, I am an attorney who is admitted in a state other than Florida. Because there is no reciprocity with other states, I wil need to work in a non-attorney position until I take and pass the Florida Bar Exam. Thanks.

[Camisis]

Originally Posted by tresjolie3

Does anyone know what the job market is like in the legal field in the Tampa Bay area?

I don't personally know, but my husband is a student at Stetson Law, graduating in May. He says that most of his class is jobless. I was pushing for us to move to Atlanta but just sending out resumes got us no where. He's been showing me article after article about the poor market for attorneys right now. I guess it's hard to find a job. Can you try to get the job before you move, just in case?
Good luck!

[mquintana]

I find this a little hard to believe because I was speaking to the attorney's our property work with (letting them know I am attending SPC and then going to Stetson) and they said they are always looking for attorney's as are other law firms. I think it depends on the field you plan on specializing in...

Originally Posted by Camisis

I don't personally know, but my husband is a student at Stetson Law, graduating in May. He says that most of his class is jobless. I was pushing for us to move to Atlanta but just sending out resumes got us no where. He's been showing me article after article about the poor market for attorneys right now. I guess it's hard to find a job. Can you try to get the job before you move, just in case?
Good luck!

[Camisis]

After clarifying my earlier statements with my husband, I have a different point of view. He told me that more than 60% of his class already has a job. He did say, however, that those students who did not previously clerk as a 2L (second year student) are finding it difficult to enter any market -- including Tampa. With that said, there are plenty of legal jobs available. Y'all must keep in mind that the economy is not getting any better and as a result jobs in corporate fields (e.g. mergers & aquisitions, securities) are going to decline. This will probably make the litigation business thrive though. He told me that the firm he is working for just increased its Tampa office from 45 lawyers last summer to about 70 lawyers as of today.

For the OP I'd ask, what field are you in? How long have you been a lawyer? And what size firm are you looking for?
I hope this helps.

[jessiegirl_98]

Originally Posted by mquintana

I find this a little hard to believe because I was speaking to the attorney's our property work with (letting them know I am attending SPC and then going to Stetson) and they said they are always looking for attorney's as are other law firms. I think it depends on the field you plan on specializing in...

Actually, I don't find this hard to believe. Unless you graduate in the top 10% of your class, many people take up at least 6 months to find employment. The legal field, especially in this area, is really tight. There is also a lot of migration down to Florida, so you are often in competition with people who are new to the area with a ton of experience. In addition, firms may often be looking for a lawyer or two, but that's still a lot of competition.

Originally Posted by tresjolie3

More specifically, I am an attorney who is admitted in a state other than Florida. Because there is no reciprocity with other states, I wil need to work in a non-attorney position until I take and pass the Florida Bar Exam. Thanks.

There are other posts about this, but I know individuals with years of experience who could not find a job in the area for well over a year. The legal market here is very small. This isn't impossible by any means, but I would honestly try to pass the bar and secure a job before moving if at all possible. As for non-legal employment, Kaplan tends to hire people to teach the LSAT if your score was high enough. Good luck!

[tresjolie3]

Thanks for your imput.
Another question - What bar review course do law students usually take in Florida. Barbri is the big national company; however I would prefer to take a review course from a smaller, more local company, if there is one.

[Camisis]

Originally Posted by tresjolie3

Thanks for your imput.
Another question - What bar review course do law students usually take in Florida. Barbri is the big national company; however I would prefer to take a review course from a smaller, more local company, if there is one.

His response was:
"Tell her that Stetson offers Barbri classes on campus and I assume that they are top notch. I do not know of any smaller, local companies."

I think Kaplan is nearby, but they're not smaller.
Good luck!