Business Insider: Big Law is Booming in Texas. Check out Why These Four Lawyers Chose to Move There, and What They Found Most Surprising
October 25, 2021
Big Law has been booming in Texas and many lawyers can earn the same salaries they would in California or New York, but enjoy the lower cost of living in the Lone Star state. Christian Rice is an associate at O’Melveny, which recently opened offices in Dallas and Austin. He said that his attraction to Austin grew when working for a congressman and he decided to pursue a legal career there while still in college. “I just really love Austin. People joke, when you run into a Texan at a happy hour, it’s like, ‘oh you're not from California.’ It really does feel like half the city is Californians at this point,” Rice said. “There’s just so many benefits, from the low cost of living, to no income tax, which is a big deal. In Austin, in particular, it’s so outdoorsy. It kind of reminds me of San Diego in that there’s a big water focus. Instead of the beach, you have waterfalls and swimming holes and lakes. It’s really pretty. It’s almost tropical.” Rice, who grew up in San Diego, noted how he started at another firm and that he and others left to join O’Melveny to be part of their first Texas office. “We go to happy hours and get to know each other, not just at work,” he said. “Last night, at happy hour, one of the partners referred to themselves as our work parents, and I felt that was really cute.”
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