Miami legal market

[jillibean]

You don't need to know Spanish to work in Miami biglaw. You would need it to work legal aid. I'm at UF, and none of the OCI preferences for Miami biglaw even noted a need to speak spanish.

This just goes to show how you shouldn't rely on the advice of other 0Ls on stuff like this- I'd recommend you post questions like this on the law students and grads board.

I suggest you actually look at job listings in Miami. All of the one's I looked at said it was REQUIRED or strongly prefered

[jillibean]

From the webiste bamf posted above:
I worked in Miami BigLaw after 2L. Best city to ever work in, period. The work environment in Miami, even at BigLaw, is ridiculously laid backed, but still challenging.

You do need to know how to speak a second language, though, because you deal so heavily with foreign clients. It does NOT have to be Spanish, however. It could be Portuguese, French, French Creole, or Italian, depending on the firm. If you can't speak a foreign language, opportunities are limited in Miami-Dade County, but much more plentiful in Broward and Palm Beach, which are suburban, but pay the same.

Miami is very much a love it/hate it city, just like LA and NYC. Very few people are in the middle.

In terms of BigLaw, there is a lot of opportunity. Few people realize Miami is one of the ten largest BigLaw markets in the country.

I also don't get why anybody would complain - you get paid similar to other markets, usually have a lighter workload than other markets, have amazing weather 9 out of 12 months, live in an adult playground, and, best of all - no state income tax!

Cost of living in Miami is also extremely reasonable once you get past paying rent.

Seems the only people who complain are the monolingual ones who couldn't get a job there based on the lack of a simple skill: a second language.

[Nemesis]

Well I've had a different experience. I'm currently at a big law firm in Miami and most of the associates here do not speak Spanish (and they're not exclusively from HY). Most of the Spanish speakers work in the Latin America corporate group (although there are a few members of the group that do not speak a second language). And if you speak Portuguese, chances are you'll be doing a significant amount of work with the offices in Brazil. But Spanish or a second language is certainly not a requirement, at least not here.

[queencruella]

I would have to disagree that Spanish is a requirement. It certainly helps, especially if you want to do international work but it definitely is not a requirement. There are also several strong litigation and bankruptcy practices.

I wouldn't think it was either.  Spanish is certainly spoken in Miami, but it's hardly the dominant language. 

FWIW, I think Spanish is the first language of 60% of Miami residents. It's definitely the predominant language.

[keelee]

I would have to disagree that Spanish is a requirement. It certainly helps, especially if you want to do international work but it definitely is not a requirement. There are also several strong litigation and bankruptcy practices.

I wouldn't think it was either.  Spanish is certainly spoken in Miami, but it's hardly the dominant language. 

Yes, it is the dominant language spoken in the city. Spanish is the first language of 66.75% of the City of Miami's hosueholds.

http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=12&county_id=&mode=&zip=&place_id=45000&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r

In all of Miami-Dade County, it is the primary language of 59.25% of households:

http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=12&county_id=86&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=top&a=&ea=&order=r

And the most watch television station in Miami? It isn't FOX, ABC, CBS, or NBC...it's the Univision affiliate:

http://www.univision.net/corp/en/pr/Miami_21062004-2.html (old PR, but it's still #1).

[cui bono?]

def sports and entertainment.  Real Estate. 

Spanish?  Put it this way, they tell you the cost of your merchandise in Spanish @ CVS, Eckerds, and Walgreens.   

[Nemesis]

Even so, I'm guessing that most big law firms serve institutional clients that are able and willing to conduct business in English. Not so?

[cui bono?]

yeah it's so but you should learn Spanish to be more of an asset.  Some smaller businesses down here are conducted solely in Spanish & there may come a time where you have to represent 'em     

[cui bono?]

true story:  went to Duncan Donuts and asked for a donut-  the lady working there had NO IDEA what I was saying

[keelee]

Even so, I'm guessing that most big law firms serve institutional clients that are able and willing to conduct business in English. Not so?

Yes, but there is still that comfort level of doing the business in Spanish/Portuguese, when it is so easy to do in Miami. Outside of a handful of local based companies (Office Depot, Burger King, Ryder, and some others) the majority of business in Miami deals with Latin America, and there might often be a third party involved that doesn't speak English.