LOCATION

EXPERIENCE

COMPENSATION

REQUIREMENTS

Yakima, Wa

3-6 Years

$100,000 to $135,000 annual salary
  • WSBA Membership
  • Litigation Experience

At some point, the next step in a litigation career should mean more than a larger caseload.

You have already proven that you can handle difficult clients, ugly facts, contested hearings, and arguments with your name attached to them. The danger at this stage is that experience starts buying you only more files, more pressure, and more problems to solve on your own.

That is not the kind of career progression we want to offer.

Pacific Northwest Family Law is looking for an experienced litigator in Yakima who is ready to take on harder matters, make more of the strategic decisions, and grow into a larger role in the profession and the community.

Our Yakima office is small enough that you can become a visible part of it and take real ownership of difficult cases. At the same time, you will practice within a larger firm and have support from attorneys with decades of experience and backgrounds in federal service, military practice, complex litigation, appellate work, and long careers in family law.

You will not be handed more work and left alone with it. You will have experienced lawyers around you to challenge your thinking, help with unfamiliar problems, and support your growth into greater responsibility, leadership, and, for attorneys who meet the firm’s criteria, partnership.

Family law experience is valuable, but it is not required. If you already know how to litigate, we can help you build the family law experience around that foundation.

Base compensation is $100,000 to $135,000, depending on experience.

Apply for this position⬇️

PRACTICE WITH OTHER LAWYERS AROUND YOU

One of the advantages of practicing in a firm with more than a dozen attorneys is that you do not have to solve every difficult problem alone.

Our attorneys come from family law, federal and military service, criminal practice, civil litigation, large firms, and smaller practices. Some have decades of experience. That range gives you people to turn to when a case raises something unfamiliar or you want another lawyer to challenge your thinking.

Attorneys have several regular ways to draw on that experience:

  • Daily team huddles provide a place to raise immediate needs and ask for help.
  • A weekly firmwide attorney mastermind gives lawyers time to discuss difficult cases, strategy, legal questions, and practice issues.
  • An ongoing attorney chat lets those discussions continue throughout the week.
  • Regular one-on-one and performance discussions provide feedback throughout the year rather than leaving everything for a single annual review.

Technology is another tool we use. AI can help with research, brainstorming, organization, and efficiency. It does not replace judgment, experience, or human creativity, and we do not expect it to. Sometimes the best resource is another lawyer who has already seen the problem in front of you.

→ Learn more about our transition and mentorship process

MORE EXPERIENCE SHOULD MEAN BETTER RESPONSIBILITY

As you become more capable, we want your work to become more important—not simply more plentiful.

Our attorneys take responsibility for strategy, writing, advocacy, client counseling, negotiations, hearings, and the progress of their cases. Legal assistants and other professional staff support the work around them, while the firm handles marketing and initial intake.

As your judgment develops, there are opportunities to take on mentoring, leadership, and partnership responsibilities as well.

→ Learn more about our partnership and leadership opportunities

Requirements and Qualifications

  • WSBA membership. Applicants must be active members in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association. Attorneys transferring from another jurisdiction will be considered if they are intent on obtaining Washington licensure.
  • 3-6 years legal practice. We are looking for an attorney who has moved beyond a supporting role and is looking for the next stage of leadership.
  • Courtroom experience. This is a litigation position. You will be in court frequently and must know how to manage an active litigation calendar.
  • Ability to manage clients and cases. After an initial transition period, you will be expected to manage client communication and case progress with the support of legal assistants and firm partners.
  • Strong written and oral advocacy. We expect our attorneys to make winning arguments, and we believe winning starts with excellent written work backed by effective courtroom advocacy. We are not looking for an attorney who files without thought and wings it in argument.
  • Professional judgment. You must be willing to make decisions as a qualified legal professional and carry yourself with the composure expected of an attorney representing clients in difficult matters.
  • Client communication. Family law clients are going through a great deal of stress and rely on you to ensure they have the information and communication needed to feel assured their matters are being handled with care.
  • Coachability. If you think you are the best and have nothing left to learn, please do not apply. Our best attorneys, including those who have practiced for decades, recognize that there is always more to learn.
  • Team oriented. We are not a group of solos practicing under one brand name. Our attorneys communicate and collaborate with one another to improve strategy and firm processes and create better opportunities for our clients.

Preferred qualities

  • Family Law experience. If you are already familiar with family law, you will be even more valuable to our clients. But we have helped many attorneys learn and practice family law at a high level who came from other litigation practices.
  • Spanish language. Many of our clients are native Spanish speakers. Attorneys who can speak directly with those clients provide a better client experience than attorneys who must rely on translation, even though many of our legal assistants also speak Spanish.

 → Learn more about the Characteristics of People Who Thrive at PNW Family Law

Apply for this position⬇️

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary is between $100,000 and $135,000 depending on experience.

Attorneys are expected to bill and collect 1500 hours a year. If you are otherwise on track, you may count 100 hours of qualified and approved pro bono work to your yearly requirement.

Attorneys who exceed the 1,500-hour requirement receive additional compensation equal to 30% of the collected attorney revenue generated by work above that threshold.

The firm handles marketing and intake. Attorneys who choose to develop their own referral relationships receive an additional 10% rainmaker bonus on revenue collected from clients they originate.

Pacific Northwest Family Law also offers the following benefits:

  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Health Savings Account
  • 401(k) plan with employer matching
  • Washington State Bar Dues
  • Unlimited CLE through NBI

For this Yakima position, we also offer up to $5,000 in relocation reimbursement and a retention bonus after six months with the firm.

→ Learn more about Compensation and Benefits

Living and Working in Yakima

Yakima offers more than its reputation suggests. Attorneys working here can choose among established city neighborhoods, West Valley, Terrace Heights, Selah, Moxee, and other nearby communities.

The area combines short commutes, regional shopping and restaurants, fresh local food, cultural institutions, and easy access to hiking, skiing, rivers, orchards, vineyards, and the mountains.

→ Learn more about Living and Working in Yakima

To Apply

Apply through the form below.

If you have more questions before applying, please email recruiting@pnwfamilylaw.com.

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