Thinking about coming to California? If so, you’ll have lots of competition, but there also may be lots of opportunities.
Of the more than over 1.3 million lawyers in the United States, a quarter of them are in just two states – New York and California. There are about 190,000 active attorneys in California with 35% in the Los Angeles area and approximately 30% in the Bay area.
California also continues to be the most popular location in the country for law firms to open new offices. In 2024, out of the top 200 law firms, California saw 17 new offices. California was the favored destination of law firms outside the top 200, as well, with 68 new office openings. It also was the most active market for mergers in both 2023 and 2024, with California seeing 10 mergers in 2024, six of which were inbound from other states. As a result, almost all but a few of the AmLaw 100 firms have offices in California, and about half of the AmLaw second 100 do so, as well.
Southern California
The major Southern California law firm markets break down into three geographic centers: Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. In Los Angeles, there are three distinct clusters of law firms, primarily in downtown, Century City, and Santa Monica. Although the national Los Angeles-based firms have significant total head counts, the actual size of Los Angeles offices is smaller compared to law offices in New York, DC, or even Chicago. There are only six law offices with more than 200 attorneys in Los Angeles, while there are more than 25 firms in DC with offices of 200+ lawyers; and many more in New York.
Orange County, known primarily as the home of Disneyland, is 50 miles south of Los Angeles. But, from Los Angeles, it could take up to two hours in traffic to get there! The major law firms are near the coast in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Irvine. In general, Orange County has a more suburban feel than Los Angeles, and the law firms there often have a more laid-back atmosphere than their Los Angeles counterparts. The region attracts a lot of locals who want to go “back home.” There are only two law firm offices with more than 100 lawyers in Orange County and, for the most part, the major New York firms are not there.
Just south of Orange County is San Diego. Even with a booming life sciences industry, it doesn’t have the number of opportunities for lawyers you would expect in a city with a population of 1.3 million people. Some law firms have two offices in the greater San Diego area, both in downtown and in North County where many of the tech companies are headquartered. And, again, the offices themselves are on the smaller side.
Northern California
The two distinct Northern California legal markets are in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. San Francisco has a more urban lifestyle and more traditional law practices. While Silicon Valley, with thousands of start-up companies resulting in law practice centered on technology, spans from Menlo Park in the North to Mountain View, Palo Alto, and San Jose in the South. The atmosphere there is more informal. Many major law firms in Silicon Valley also have offices in San Francisco, and almost all major law firms in Northern California have offices in Los Angeles, as well.
Further north is Sacramento, the State Capital and home to California’s state government agencies, influential lobbying firms, and numerous private sector companies. A handful of law firms want to be physically closer to their clientele and the seat of government where law is being developed. The offices are relatively small, but lawyers often choose to live here since real estate and the cost of living is much more reasonable than in other California markets.
Tips for California-bound lawyers
If you want to move to the Golden State, it’s best to show a commitment to California. Know why you want to come here, other than the surfing and year-round golf. It helps to have a California nexus. If you don’t currently have family here, or you didn’t grow up or go to school in the state, you must make another convincing argument. Is there a strong California connection with your practice or clients? Did you have a summer associate position in the state, or do you work closely with your firm’s California lawyers? Can you at least say you’ve visited regularly, or have close friends here, and believe that you would have great connections for future business development in California?
If you’re currently practicing out of state but plan to practice here, even in the future, take the California Bar exam sooner rather than later. Without admission to the California Bar, you’re limiting your options to relocate here, even with strong credentials. Many legal employers won’t consider resumes of laterals without admission to the State Bar under their belt. Taking the Bar exam shows you’re serious about making the move.
Historically, the California Bar exam has been notoriously difficult to pass (even without the February 2025 debacle—more about that below) and prospective employers are wary of risking hiring a lawyer who may not pass it on the first—or at least second—attempt. Part of the problem is the long lead time in the state between taking the bar exam and getting results. July Bar test takers don’t get results until late November, and February test takers must wait until May. In the meantime, laterals who are not admitted here can’t sign documents or make most court appearances. At the lateral level, employers often need someone to fill a current need right away and can’t afford to have a lateral hire take time out to study for the exam and then wait for the results.
California and Nevada are the only states thus far to say they won’t use the NextGen bar exam which is debuting July 2026. Instead, a new version of the California Bar exam, the first one you could take with a remote option, rolled out in February 2025. It was a disaster of epic proportions from scheduling nightmares, to malfunctioning practice exams, to a dearth of accessible test centers. Things got even worse during the actual exam, with technical glitches, proctoring chaos, and system failures. Many test takers were unable to complete the bar exam and have filed class-action lawsuits. The State Bar has not yet decided how to remedy the situation. They have decided, however, that there will be no remote test taking option in the future.
A word to the wise: If you’re dreaming of ever practicing law in California and you aren’t already admitted to the Bar here, sign up and start studying NOW!
