1. 800. 973.1177
CAREER COUNSEL
Living and Practicing Law in Atlanta [by Erica Winter] Wondering what life is like for your colleagues in Atlanta? We talked to several practicing attorneys in Atlanta, and, in general, it’s pretty good. Find out the many advantages and the few disadvantages about practicing in the largest metropolis in the Southeastern United States.
Atlanta is not what you think it is. That is - if
his quality of life. His wife is from Atlanta, so
says. He has seen this not just in the North-
you are thinking of “The South” that many
the family relocated south. Iarocci joined a
east, but also in the Northwest, and the West.
people who live in other parts of the U.S.
small Atlanta firm as a partner, then moved
imagine.
to his current position with CARE in 1998.
In the real Atlanta, business is booming,
Now Iarocci is the head of a three-lawyer
meeting with defense counsel, or ignore your
minds are open, and most people who live
team at CARE, which has 12,000 employ-
calls, for example.
here are from somewhere else.
ees and $50 million in revenues, serving 45
Prosecutors in Atlanta are no slouches, McNabb says, but they do not refuse to take a
million people worldwide in its mission to
This legal civility is not necessarily because
alleviate poverty.
Atlanta is in the South.
town? No, say the insiders we talked to
Iarocci works with government contracts,
“People are extraordinarily accepting” in
- most of whom were originally outsiders.
government relations, and personnel issues.
Atlanta says Harry Harkins, Jr., who has
While not the “place to be” to practice one
He travels a lot, sometimes helping out CARE
been practicing law for 28 years, 12 of which
specific type of law (Houston - oil, Hartford
staffers overseas. He recently won a case
were spent in Atlanta. He still maintains an
- insurance), Atlanta could be the place to
in Kosovo, defending a CARE staff member
office in Durham, N.C., where law practice is
practice practically any type of law.
against false charges, and then fishing the
“tougher than in Georgia.”
But do you have to be a native to get hired and admired in the legal profession in this
staffer out of jail and the country. “I have a Practicing here.
great, great job,” he says.
“Civility.” “Congeniality.” “Reputation.” These
“The congeniality of the opposing counsel”
are the three words that kept coming up
is what stands out about Atlanta for attorney
again and again in our conversations with
Douglas McNabb, who heads a Houston-
Harkins has a solo practice handling appeals
attorneys practicing in Atlanta.
based firm working for clients charged with
for professionals facing disciplinary hearings
white-collar federal crimes, such as securi-
- mostly for attorneys, but also for physicians
ties fraud.
and CPAs. He is also expanding his practice
“Not that Georgia is not tough, but North Carolina is a particularly strict state,” Har-
Compared to larger cities like New York or Los Angeles, Atlanta’s legal community
kins says.
to work on wills and estate planning in the
is “smaller and tighter,” says Joe Iarocci,
Having worked on cases in 40 states and 80
General Counsel for CARE, (Cooperative for
different cities, McNabb says that some US
Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc.), one
attorney offices are “less professional” than
Here’s where “Reputation” comes in: Most
of the largest nonprofits in the world. Your
others. In the cases he has worked on in At-
of Harkins’s business comes from word-of-
reputation as a lawyer is more important
lanta, however, the federal prosecutors have
mouth referrals, he says, as does attorney
here, Iarocci says, because you work with
been “tough but fair.”
David Davenport’s.
“Rambo lawyering is looked down on in
Davenport works on both sides of the civil
Atlanta,” says McNabb. Sometimes, in other
litigation front with the firm Lamar, Archer
Iarocci was practicing antitrust law with a
parts of the country, McNabb encounters
& Cofrin. Most of his referred clients come
firm in New York, living there with his wife
prosecutors who seem to take cases person-
from other lawyers, and his firm does the
and small children, and wanted to improve
ally, and come out “with guns blazing,” he
same for other attorneys with whom they
gay community.
many of the same opposing counsel and judges again and again.
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1.800. 973. 1177
CAREER COUNSEL
have good relationships. Davenport does not,
software to allow financial information to be
to be optimistic for you) above $350,000.
for example, do domestic cases, so he refers
sent state to state legally and confidentially.
We got over 700 possibilities, all of which
those cases on to trusted local colleagues.
Green works with programmers to help them
were single-family detached houses, and
navigate necessary laws, and also works with
many of which had yards and trees. Most of
The civility in Atlanta’s legal atmosphere not
loan accounts that are not being paid. “I wear
the houses were under $800,000 - a near
only makes your work day more enjoyable,
a lot of hats,” he says.
impossibility for a large house with a yard in
but can be an essential part of bringing in business as well.
a major Northeastern city. There is a lot of international law to be done in Atlanta, with branch offices of large firms
Living here.
Still, Davenport agrees, you definitely do not
in town, including a branch of intellectual
have to be a native to find success. Atlanta
property law firm Finnegan, Henderson,
Does he miss the snow of his native Massa-
is a “boom town,” he says; you won’t face
Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, which also has
chusetts? “I miss it coming down on a Friday,
any roadblocks for not being a native son or
offices in Tokyo and Taipei.
but not on the ground on a Monday,” says Joe
daughter.
Iarocci. Looking for a big firm? The top five Atlanta-
The congenial atmosphere covers commu-
based law firms are, according to the June
“Today [March 26], the sun is shining, the sky
nity service as well, with many of the large
2003 Atlanta Business Chronicle:
is blue, it’s 75 degrees and the dogwoods are
firms in town giving a lot of support to pro bono work, says Susan McAvoy, Director of
blooming,” says Susan McAvoy. 1. Alston & Bird (447 lawyers)
the Office of Career Services at the Emory
And the people? “I love the diversity of people
University School of Law.
2. King & Spalding (428 lawyers)
here,” says Iarocci. The city is “very cosmo-
Company town.
3. Troutman & Sanders (282 lawyers)
live up to an “antiquated view of the South.”
CARE is not the only big player in Atlanta.
4. Kilpatrick & Stockton (250 lawyers)
Atlanta has about 430,000 residents inside
politan and diverse,” says McAvoy; it does not
The Carter Center and the American Cancer
the city limits, and over 4 million people in
Society are other large national and inter-
5. Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy (217
national nonprofits based here. The federal
lawyers)
government has many offices here, too. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The city itself is “surprisingly integrated,” Money.
is based in Atlanta, and the EPA, IRS, and the EEOC all have regional offices here.
the region.
says David Davenport. There is a very well established, African-American middle and
Your salary might be lower than in New York
upper class in Atlanta, making it “quite a
City or Los Angeles, but the cost of living in
mecca” for many African-American profes-
As the state capitol, Atlanta also has the
Atlanta is far less, as well. The Bureau of
sionals, says McAvoy.
state legislature, and all state agencies.
Labor Statistics says that for 2002 (the most recent data available) the mean hourly wage
There are lots of things to do in and near the
According to a March 22 Associated Press
for lawyers in Atlanta is $45.94, and the
city, say all our experts - hiking and back-
report, 16 Fortune 500 companies are based
mean yearly salary is $95,550.
packing in the nearby mountains, arts and
in Atlanta. These include: Home Depot,
entertainment in town. “It’s a great city - but
UPS, BellSouth, Coca-Cola, Georgia Pacific,
Keep in mind, these numbers are at the cen-
Delta Airlines and SunTrust bank. Plus, CNN
ter of earnings, with many earning far more.
broadcasts from downtown, and has its home
Also, the hourly rate may give a better sense
You could have a house with a yard and trees
office here.
of earnings - the yearly salary was calculated
and be in the middle of Atlanta, ten minutes
based on a 40-hour week, something attor-
from your office, says Harry Harkins. Neigh-
neys rarely see.
borhoods our experts recommended include:
Atlanta also has a “very strong” and growing technology sector, says Jason Green, who
Druid Hills, Cascade, Morningside, Virginia
has been practicing law for 14 years. Green is
We did a quick internet search for houses
an in-house attorney for a company that buys
in the city of Atlanta with four or more
up existing loans, and which is also creating
bedrooms and two or more baths (we want
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not too much of it,” says Iarocci.
Highlands and Buckhead. Like most major cities, public schools in At-
continued
1.800. 973. 1177
CAREER COUNSEL
lanta vary in quality. There are neighborhood
nization: pro bono work, volunteering in the
schools that are very good and see great loy-
community, time in the Peace Corps working
alty, says Susan McAvoy; still, most lawyers
overseas - these would all bolster your ap-
probably have their kids in private schools,
plication to nonprofits - both in Atlanta and
or move to the suburbs for the public schools
elsewhere.
there. 5. “Come on down!” says Harry Harkins. The downside? “God-awful traffic,” says Ja-
Atlanta is a great place to live. Both the legal
son Green. About 2 million new people have
and metropolitan community will welcome
moved into the Atlanta area since the 1996
you.
Summer Olympics, he estimates. The resulting housing boom has brought more people
6. Interested in Atlanta? There are 1,272 le-
driving from the suburbs, but not many more
gal jobs in Atlanta on LawCrossing right now.
roads for them to drive on. (You could avoid this, however, by getting a place in town.) Atlanta advice. 1. “Visit,” says Vickie Brown, Director of Career Services at the Georgia State University’s College of Law (and the only native Atlantan we found!). Check out the town and do some networking while you’re there - especially if you haven’t landed a specific position yet, she recommends. Susan McAvoy concurs. “You just can’t put enough stock in talking to people,” she says. 2. Don’t think that Atlanta is insular - if you’re good, you have a shot. Legal employers in Atlanta actively seek out candidates from other regions, says Brown. Most important: a good law school and/or good standing at law school, and a good track record afterwards. For attorneys, Atlanta has a “more open market than other places,” says Brown. 3. When you get here, get involved in the Bar; it’s important to get to know as many other attorneys as possible to build that reputation, says David Davenport. 4. Caution: many lawyers, dissatisfied with their work, start sending out résumés to large, well-known nonprofits in an effort to do “good work,” says Joe Iarocci. While admirable, charity begins at home, so to speak. You need to have demonstrated that you care about the same issues as your targeted orga-
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