job situation in Vancouver area (Seattle, Spokane: attorneys, home, unemployed)

[vaidpa]

I'm thinking of relocating to the PNW (yes, like so many others) and am looking at a number of areas including the Vancouver area. I have a varied background, which I guess could have pros and cons. I have a M.Ed. in higher ed administration. I was dean of admissions for a college, then decided to go to law school. I have been in private practice (ligitation) for about the past 3 1/2 years. Not sure if I want to continue in the legal field but it is a possibility. Am definitely open to using my law degree in a capacity other than private practice (gov't, in-house, etc.). WA has reciprocity with my home state so I can be admitted to the WA bar on motion and not have to take the bar exam.

Any thoughts on jobs in the Vancouver area for someone with my experience? I am basically willing to start over and do other types of work -adminstrative, etc. but with my legal experience I am kind of worried that I have limited myself. I have enough $$ saved up to last me about 2 years (in my area, I'm sure would not last nearly that long in WA), and I am willing (actually more interested) in living "out" a little - I am not a city person but figure the better job opportunities will be in the city.
Thanks in advance for your comments/advice.

[bler144]

The higher ed administration market in the Portland metro is generally tough - there aren't that many jobs to begin with, there's significant home-grown talent, and, your case as case in point, there's a lot of interest in people moving here from CA/midwest/northeast. So competition for the good jobs that do come open is generally very stiff.

On the Vancouver side of the river the two primary options would be WSU-Vancouver and Clark (comm. college), however WSU-V is really a splinter branch of the main campus, and most of the "real" jobs are in Pullman, far far away.

On the Portland side, it's a mix. PSU actually hires on a regular basis, but that's in no small part because the place is a bit of a mess and turnover is fairly high. The private school market is a mix of schools that are generally quite small, with the exception of Pacific, George Fox, and UP (all in the 3,000-4,000 range). A handful, including George Fox, are Christian and require a lifestyle/faith contract. The only law school in the metro is Lewis & Clark, I believe.

On the higher ed front Portland is definitely not Boston, or NYC, or even Chicago/Mpls.

On the law job side, you are correct that most of the job opportunities will be on the Portland side, and the commute from Vancouver to downtown is at least not quick.

[texasdiver]

If you are licensed in Washington I would think that Spokane, Tacoma, or the Seattle area will have greater opportunities than Vancouver in both law and higher ed. Vancouver is really just a Portland suburb.

[hml1976]

I'm not sure if it's true anymore but at one point in recent years Portland had the highest number of unemployed attorneys in the country.

[vaidpa]

Thanks bler144 for the good overview. I think higher ed in general uses a lot of home grown talent which definitely makes it harder to break in. I have now been out of higher ed for going on 9 years, so I think it is going to be too hard for me to go back (even though I would love to). My recent law experience isn't related to higher ed (unfortunately - the plan was to go into higher ed law, but I had to take a job even though it wasn't in my desired field), so even though I think I could successfully do a number of jobs in higher ed, for the reasons you mentioned, I'm not going to be a top candidate. I would honestly be happy doing administrative work at a college/university (assistant to a dean, work in student affairs, etc.) but I'm sure those jobs are hard to get as well. I do have admin experience but it was ages ago.

I would definitely be willing to look at other areas of the state; I think it would be easier to look for jobs if I was physically there, but that of course involves taking the plunge and moving without a job.

[StealthRabbit]

Set up some informational interviews, &
Fly out for a couple weeks ($89 or less on 'sale dates' from most major airports)

I see a lot of adjunct faculty at our 25plus Portland / sw WA colleges. Universities, seminaries,

I have looked high and low for a good elder care attorney in the region. They are very scarce.

[texasdiver]

I don't know about the legal profession but in terms of higher education, Vancouver is an exceptionally weak city. Your only choices are WSU-Vancouver which is about a 3,000 student 4-year branch campus of WSU, and Clark College which is about a 15,000 student 2-year community college. That's it. everything else is across the river in Portland which is also frankly not that great in terms of college opportunities.

By contrast, Spokane which is a similar sized city has Gonzaga and Whitworth Universities, two community colleges, a branch campus of WSU, and Eastern Washington University is about 20 minutes away in Cheney. So at least double or triple the college student population.

Tacoma, another similar sized city has Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, UW-Tacoma, a branch campus of Evergreeen State, and a couple of community colleges.

Generally speaking, compared to the east coast, Washington does not have that much in they way of 4-year college offerings and a whole lot more students in Washington start out at 2-year community colleges than is generally the case in the east. The state's population has boomed in the past couple of decades but the public college offerings have not kept pace.

[vaidpa]

Thanks stealthrabbit - good suggestions. And texasdiver - thanks for the helpful overview/assessment of the higher ed picture. Lots to think about and more to research.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

I don't know about the legal profession but in terms of higher education, Vancouver is an exceptionally weak city. Your only choices are WSU-Vancouver which is about a 3,000 student 4-year branch campus of WSU, and Clark College which is about a 15,000 student 2-year community college. That's it. everything else is across the river in Portland which is also frankly not that great in terms of college opportunities.
X
.....

Not true... There are other higher learning options, in Vancouver. (All be them private,)

& Crossing the river takes 5 minutes. No border security checks, Many of us do it several times a week, others never in a lifetime.

UP is a pretty good option and 7 min from Vancouver, as are several others within 20 min. Not the best for all... Just very accessible and a large variety.

Mindset.... Keep it open.

[vaidpa]

Thanks. I'm definitely open to wherever, within "nice" areas to live, that I can find a decent job. I'm kind of starting by narrowing down areas I think I like and then checking out jobs in those areas, rather than looking first for jobs and seeing where they're located. I've decided that being somewhere enjoyable is more important to me, and I am probably on the verge of a career change, so it makes sense to me to do it that way. The market isn't great anywhere and my biggest dilemma now is whether to take a huge chance and move somewhere before having a job. I'm so unhappy in my current situation and trying not to let that influence me into a rash decision.