An Analysis of the Tucson Legal Job Market
Historically, Tucson and Southern Arizona have hosted a diverse range of industries, including aerospace, information technology, and life sciences, while the legal sector has long served as a vital contributor to the region’s economic framework. The Tucson-Pima County economic forecast indicates an optimistic outlook for future legal employment opportunities. In 2019, it is predicted that approximately 400 new jobs will be created, including over 150 legal specialists within the administrative support sector, and 240 new positions in the legal services industry, with a particular emphasis on private law firms. In spite of the current recession, Arizona remains strong for international business, with a substantive number of foreign-owned firms establishing operations within the Tuscon-Pima County region.
Underpinned by the presence of Tucson’s numerous colleges, including the University of Arizona James E . Rogers College of Law, the legal profession in Tucson has grown steadily throughout the past decade. Due to the legal sector’s role in supporting various industries, the general outlook for the state of the law industry in Tucson is one characterized by the kind of stability and consistency that’s rarely found in other cities within the U.S. Already home to 2,800 thriving legal firms, the Tucson legal job market is further buoyed by the predicted 22 percent job growth rate amongst legal secretaries in the region. It comes as no surprise, then, that the annual median wage for employed legal professionals in Tucson currently sits at around $73,000. While specialized legal services (like patent attorneys) tend to earn more than general lawyers, the legal profession is lauded for offering employees competitive salaries and extensive benefits.
Tucson’s Hottest Legal Job Openings
In terms of the legal positions available in Tucson, attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants are among the most sought after and well compensated. When considering salary alone, attorneys are at the top of the bracket, followed by paralegals, and legal assistants as the most common legal position in Tucson.
Attorney positions in Tucson typically require a JD from an ABA-approved law school, along with passing the State Bar of Arizona exam in order to practice law. Additionally, candidates should possess strong communication and analytical skills, as well as having superior research abilities. The majority of legal offices in Tucson are looking for highly organized and detail-oriented attorneys to satisfy the demands of their practice and responsibilities.
Paralegals are often required to have a degree in paralegal studies (in some instances a certificate program will suffice), and many employers prefer that paralegals have a minimum of one year of job experience to assist attorneys and draft legal documents. Top-notch research skills, communication, and writing skills are also essential for legal assistants in Tucson.
Legal Employers in Tucson
Tucson hosts a variety of law firms catering to different levels of expertise and specializations. Kinsella, Weitzman, Iser, Kump & Aldisert LLP, an insurance defense firm, is one of the largest in the area, with Wiggins, Childs, Quinn & Pantazis PC and Segal & Schwalbe PC also attracting numerous employee prospects. Other options include Borders Law Group, Davis Miles McGuire Gardner, Fennemore Craig, Rusing, Lopez & Lizardi, P.L.L.C., Gammage & Burnham PLC, and Smith & Green, PC. Corporations with in-house counsel offices are another option for those seeking legal jobs in Tucson. Wells Fargo, which employs over 12,000 people in Arizona, has a regional in-house office in Tucson. Other major employers include Raytheon Missile Systems, Cigna, Teva, Bank of America, and Comcast. Government jobs abound for immediate attorneys as well. The federal government employs lawyers at all levels, including the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, District of Arizona Probation Office, Tucson U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Purchasing new or replacement jobs are rare due to budget cuts; however, the U.S. District Court, for example, recently added to its staff. In the local government sector, the City of Tucson and Pima County recruit attorneys for various positions within those organizations. The Attorney General’s Office of Arizonia, the Attorney General’s Office of Mexico, and the Supreme Court of Arizonia also offer legal employment opportunities.
Industry Networking and Legal Associations
Networking within the legal community is an essential step toward finding a job, and Tucson is no exception when it comes to the availability of professional legal associations that focus on networking. The Tucson Chapter of SHRM (The Society for Human Resource Management) offers networking opportunities for lawyers, HR and general management. Another group is the Arizona Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, which provides networking opportunities for attorneys who work in-house.
LawyerLink, an Arizona legal professional network, also provides a variety of opportunities for legal professionals to make contacts, build relationships, and stay up to date with the latest in the Tucson legal community. Participating attorneys use LawyerLink to share referrals and recommendations, and to connect with other members through chat rooms and discussion boards. Members can create profiles for clients, businesses, cases, and firms. Of course, meeting face-to-face is another time-honored technique for finding legal work. The legal community in Tucson is compact enough that getting together with colleagues is a real possibility.
Networking and staying connected is a key part of legal training and education, and Tucson attorneys will benefit from becoming familiar with the available associations.
Education and Certification for Legal Careers
Tucson is home to two law schools, the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and the Pima Community College. While it is often easier to find a job if you graduate with a JD, many jobs do not require a JD and are open to other educational requirements. Many employers will pay for your certification programs, and some companies will even pay for law school. The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law is the only law school in Arizona accredited by the American Bar Association. They have 420 students and 50 faculty members, making them one of the smaller law schools in the nation. The school offers full and part-time options as well as the option to complete a Juris Doctorate in two years or an Online JD. The law school takes on students from all over the nation and even worldwide. Acceptance is highly competitive and limited to a couple hundred students. Tuition is currently $50,356 for residents of Arizona, and $60,106 for non-Arizona residents. Pima Community College offers Associate of Applied Science degrees in the following areas: Paralegal Studies , Legal Assistant, Bail Enforcement, Legal Support, Law Office Management. Students can choose full or part-time options for their degree programs. The senior capstone seminar is required in order for students to graduate. Students interested in becoming paralegals usually take the paralegal studies program. Upon completing the program, paralegals can seek legal assistant or paralegal financing careers. The program offers basic training for legal support professionals. The law office management program includes basic training for those looking to manage offices, human resources, finances, and technology in a law firm or other legal organization. The bail enforcement program provides a foundation for those seeking to work as bail agents or bondsmen. Finally, the legal support program is a more general field designed to provide students with a wide range of legal support options. Each of these programs requires that the students complete 61-70 credits.
Job Application and Interviewing Tactics
Once you have identified the firms or institutions that you might be interested in working for, the next step of the process is to submit your legal job applications. Treat your application as you would prep for a case, learning everything you can about it and presenting all the necessary details in an organized and concise fashion.
Before applying, make sure you have an accurate resume ready that highlights your most recent qualifications and experience. It should reflect any relevant organizations you have worked for, or recent accomplishments that relate to your intended position. If there’s a particular aspect of the legal field you are interested in, tailor your resume for those specializations. Always follow the application instructions on the posting—if you’re supposed to attach other information such as a cover letter or a writing sample, do so. Don’t apply just because you think you’re qualified—make sure you are suited for the position and that you have a good sense of the firm’s values and specialties (which you can usually find on their website or LinkedIn page).
Once your application is submitted, it’s time to wait for a response. Some firms may ask you to come in for an interview, while others will simply call you back with an offer. Bear in mind that the firm or institution may conduct background checks on you, so if you’ve ever had any issues you believe they may ask about, prepare to answer questions about them.
If you do get an interview, treat it as if it were an actual hearing: Be punctual, dress appropriately and be prepared for anything. Consider discussing your resume during your interview, especially if there are gaps or inconsistencies that the firm may question. In general, interviewees should behave professionally and represent their best selves: asking good questions about the firm’s area of expertise and showing an overall enthusiasm for the position will go a long way toward making a good impression.
Everyone knows how the legal hiring process goes: You get an offer of employment, the size of which is determined by how sought-after you are. Then you negotiate the size of the offer until you reach a level you’re comfortable with. You may also be asked for a writing sample during the interview process if one was not provided with your application. It’s usually best to select one that demonstrates conciseness, and thoroughness in telling a story or describing a process. After the interview, you may be asked to come back a second time. When you do get an offer, always read the contract thoroughly, paying special attention to details such as pay structure and benefits.
Salary and Benefits Information
Salaries offered to legal professionals in the Tucson area vary depending on the attorney’s experience, the size of the firm, and the practice area. On average, salaries for lawyers working in law firms in Tucson range from $66,000 to $160,000 per year, with most lawyers earning between $110,000 and $130,000. As with other large cities, you’re likely to see higher salaries for associate attorneys reporting to a senior attorney or partner and working within larger firms and corporate in-house legal departments as opposed to lawyers in smaller law firms or those branch offices. And, as is the case with most major metropolitan areas, salaries are generally higher at larger firms in the metropolitan area’s North and the greater Tucson area, Phoenix. As is the norm across the country, prominent law firms in greater Tucson, like Greenberg Traurig, offer compensation packages to new associates that fall well within this range. General counsels of large corporations in Tucson can expect to earn in excess of $200,000 per year.
Compensation for non-lawyer legal professionals can sometimes be surprisingly lucrative. Salaries have been observed to be between $55,000 and $80,000 for experienced paralegals at some large firms . The regular ranges of compensation for paralegals at Tucson’s major law firms are $35,000 -57,000 for paralegal specialists in labor and employment; $35,000 -$55,000 for family law, bankruptcy and appellate paralegals; and $45,000-$75,000 for patent and intellectual property litigation paralegals. People with a demonstrated background in the particular type of law a firm practices earn higher salaries than paralegals who are more junior or lack the requisite experience. While pay for legal assistants is generally lower than pay for paralegals, some median wages in Tucson are in the neighborhood of $55,000 for experienced assistants while lesser experienced legal assistants can still earn as much as $40,000.
In addition to pay, employers recognize the value of enhancing employees’ quality of life through extra benefits and incentives. Larger law firms and corporate employers offer a variety of supplementary benefits, including group medical and dental plans covering the employee and his/her family; life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance policies; short and long term disability benefits, a contributory retirement plan, and a 401(k) retirement savings plan. These benefits and others offered by many Tucson employers help to increase the competition for the best legal talent and often counterbalance lower base salaries.