Individuals with law degrees often work as lawyers if they qualify to do so under the rules of the Washington State Bar Association. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated a total of 9,990 lawyers practicing in the state as of its May 2009 report. This total does not include self-employed individuals, however, so the number of practicing attorneys in the state may be higher when accounting for solo practitioners and other self-employed law graduates.
Salaries for law school graduates vary depending on the individual's years of experience, type of law practiced, size of the law firm and whether the individual works in the private or public sector. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the mean annual salary for Washington lawyers as $112,560, in its May 2009 compilations. For Washington judges and magistrates, positions which also require law degrees, the BLS estimates a mean annual salary in excess of $90,000 to $100,000 for some positions. Though many factors determine an individual's salary after earning a law degree, there is potential to benefit financially from a legal education in Washington.
The Washington State Bar Association regulates practicing lawyers in Washington state. Law graduates without law licenses from another U.S. state must pass the Washington bar examination in order to receive their Washington law licenses. To take the bar exam in Washington, an individual must have a law degree from a program accredited by the American Bar Association.
The Law School Admission Council, which provides a listing of schools accredited by the American Bar Association, lists three ABA-accredited schools in Washington state: Gonzaga University School of Law, located in Spokane; Seattle University School of Law and University of Washington School of Law, both located in Seattle. The American Bar Association website provides additional information about ABA-accredited programs in other U.S. states.