The U.S. economy as a whole is predicted to grow by 5.1%, with San Francisco set to play a big part in this development. Many established and emerging technology clients have kept the economy booming in recent years. And as we head further into 2022,
San Francisco will continue to be a top destination for large U.S. law firms expanding into new markets. More than 70 of the AmLaw100 firms have an office in San Francisco, and are competing for top talent.
In the last three years, 10 of the 13 new market entrants have targeted San Francisco, including: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Debevoise & Plimpton; and Plimpton. As a result, no major metropolitan area in the United States is as ripe for the legal profession as the San Francisco Bay Area.
Whats Driving Demand?
Tech and life science companies (the backbone of the San Fran Bay Area economy) are doing well. As technology-driven companies and their investors become more established, mature, diversify, and globalize, they generate enormous legal work across practices. Another driver of demand is the changing business landscape.
For instance, while San Francisco has historically been strong in finance and banking, since the emergence of new technology companies and corporations moving away from brick and mortar, firms with substantial private equity and transactional teams have been prompted to enter the market.
Practice Areas in Demand have been:
- Emerging companies & venture capital
- Capital Markets
- Patent Litigation/IP
- Tech Transactions
To qualify as a U.S. lawyer with U.S. citizenship and the ability to practice in states like New York or California, you must meet the following requirements:
- Hold a J.D. from an ABA-approved U.S. law school or satisfy each element of a Rule 13 exemption from the law study requirement
- Have a license to practice law in another state
- Be actively and substantially engaged in the lawful practice of law as your principal business or occupation for at least 5 of the 7 years immediately preceding your application
If you have the above, also make sure you:
- Have your transcripts ready! U.S. partners will always ask for academics when assessing a candidate
- Update your CV and send it to a legal recruiter for review
- Do your research on firms you are interested in and get prepared early for the interview stages
For young lawyers, once you have completed your pre-legal and legal education and met the state bar’s requirements, and if you are at least 18 years old, you may apply to take the California bar exam.If you are in your first five years of practice or under the age of 36, you are also automatically a part of the California Young Lawyers Association. This group offers valuable resources to young lawyers in the state, as well as discounts for young attorneys starting out in practice.
Qualifying As An International Lawyer
If you are a qualified international lawyer, you can sit for the California Bar Exam. You still have some other requirements to fulfil, but your foreign license is a shortcut in the application process. If you have a law degree but are not licensed, you may qualify to sit for the bar if you complete an LL.M. with at least 20 credits at an ABA or California accredited school.
- Have your transcripts ready! U.S. partners will always ask for academics when assessing a candidate. You will also need all of your transcripts when applying to sit the California Bar and completing your foreign evaluation form.
- As above, foreign lawyers need to complete a foreign evaluation form to get their qualifications assessed. Even if you have yet to secure an interview, get this out of the way quickly, as when you do eventually secure an interview, you can let the partners know you have started the process and are committed.
- Do your research on places to live and speak to friends/relatives or even friends of friends to gather information. You will then be able to use this information to demonstrate to partners that you are serious about a move.
Cost Of Living
San Francisco offers a more affordable lifestyle compared to New York City in several key areas.
The overall cost of living, including rent, is 17% lower in San Francisco. Rent prices, which are a significant portion of living expenses, are 31.5% cheaper in San Francisco than in New York.Additionally, while dining out in both cities is expensive, restaurant prices in San Francisco are 11.4% lower than in New York.
However, when compared to London, living expenses without rent are 11.9% higher in San Francisco, while the total cost of living, including rent, is 10.6% higher.
Living In San Francisco
Out of 182 cities in America, San Francisco ranks in 5th place in terms of 'happiness.' It has also been ranked within the top 10 most beautiful cities in the world, and it's easy to see why! The golden gate bridge, hilly streets, beautiful parks, colourful housing and stunning coastal views.San Francisco has the most restaurants and farmer's markets per capita in North America – all supplied by pioneering local organic farms.
The city is also full of charming sidewalk cafes, miles of hiking trails, viewpoints, and bars. Back in the day, San Francisco set the gold standard for Wild West saloons until drinking was driven underground in the 1920s with Prohibition.
Today San Francisco celebrates its historic saloons and speakeasies – and with Wine Country and local distillers providing a steady supply of America's finest hooch, the West still gets wild nightly. San Francisco also tends to be a very casual city. Its residents favour a laid-back, carefree lifestyle, and this attitude applies to everything from clothes to dinner plans. And, since singles make up 39 percent of its population, it's a great place to meet someone.
Climate
In San Francisco, the summers are long, comfortable, arid, and mostly clear and the winters are short, cold, wet, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 7°C to 22°C and is rarely below 4°C or above 28°C. Microclimates can also add magic realism to San Francisco days: when it's drizzling in the outer reaches of Golden Gate Park, it might be sunny in the Mission.
Location & Travel
The city is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay on the West Coast of the United States.
Distance to:
- San Diego to San Francisco – 458 miles
- San Jose to San Francisco – 42 miles
- Los Angeles to San Francisco – 382 miles
- Seattle to San Francisco – 807 miles
- San Francisco to – 416 miles
San Francisco is one of the better cities in the U.S. for getting around without a car. San Francisco's network of fuel-efficient Muni buses, light rail Metro trains, historic streetcars and iconic cable cars covers all corners of the city.You'll find zipping around the city without a car is not only easy and affordable, it's actually more convenient 99% of the time. Driving in the city can be challenging and parking fees are costly.United Airlines is the leading carrier into SFO, with the most domestic and international flights serving the airport annually. United's domestic flights are based out of Terminal 3, with service in the International Terminal as well.
Five facts about San Francisco
1. San Francisco is where denim jeans were born. Levi Strauss made clothing for Gold Rush miners which ought to be both comfortable and durable.
2. They say the population of dogs in San Francisco is higher than that of their children.
3. The invention of the fortune cookie was done in San Francisco by a Japanese residing in the city. His name is Makoto Hagiwara.
4. A lot of well-celebrated individuals were born and/or raised in San Francisco. Among them are Robert Frost, Bruce Lee and Clint Eastwood.
5. The cable cars of San Francisco are the only moving National Historic Landmark in the country that moves.
Law firms across San Francisco are actively looking for top talent and are ready and willing to relocate well-qualified lawyers. Therefore, if you are interested in living on America's sun-soaked West Coast and working with some of the most innovative tech clients in the world, please get in touch for more advice.
