Fort Lauderdale attorney jobs

Fewer firms than Miami. Steady hiring.

About 80 attorney roles are open in Fort Lauderdale at any given time. Over the past year, 167 opened and 167 closed. Here's where the demand is, how it compares to Miami, and how to explore it without anyone knowing.

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Open attorney roles, Fort Lauderdale Open roles New that month
Open attorney roles in Fort Lauderdale, October 2025 to September 2026 Open associate, partner and counsel roles in Fort Lauderdale held between 74 and 92 from October 2025 to September 2026, ending at 79. New openings each month ranged from 9 to 21. 0255075100 Oct 2025: 83 open roles, 13 newNov 2025: 79 open roles, 10 newDec 2025: 85 open roles, 14 newJan 2026: 74 open roles, 9 newFeb 2026: 81 open roles, 13 newMar 2026: 92 open roles, 19 newApr 2026: 85 open roles, 13 newMay 2026: 84 open roles, 14 newJun 2026: 80 open roles, 14 newJul 2026: 79 open roles, 17 newAug 2026: 82 open roles, 10 newSep 2026: 79 open roles, 21 new8392 at the March peak79OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep20252026

Data as of September 2026. Source: SurePoint Legal Insights. Associate, partner and counsel openings across all practice areas, October 2025 to September 2026.

79open roles in September
167new openings in 12 months
25Am Law 100 and 200 offices
2–5years, what most postings ask for

Where the demand is.

What firms are asking for across the 68 open attorney postings in Fort Lauderdale as of October 2026.

Litigation27 of 68 postings
Commercial, construction, financial services, employment, maritime and medical malpractice.
InsuranceAbout 1 in 4
Insurance defense, coverage, general liability and workers' compensation, across litigation and insurance groups.
Corporate11 of 68
M&A, private equity, capital markets and securities.
Real estate11 of 68
Development, finance, land use and community development district bond work.
Labor & employment5 of 68
Advice and litigation for employers.

Also showing up: trusts and estates, healthcare transactions, commercial lending and data privacy.

Fort Lauderdale vs. Miami.

Am Law 100 and 200 firms with offices in each city.

Fort LauderdaleMiami
Am Law 100 and 200 offices2571
Attorneys in those offices6582,247
Typical office size15 attorneys20 attorneys
Offices with 50+ attorneys510

Source: SurePoint Legal Insights. Typical office size is the median. Fewer, smaller offices mean fewer Am Law openings in Fort Lauderdale, but each one carries more weight.

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The commute

Twenty-seven miles. It feels like more.

It's only about 27 miles from Brickell to downtown Fort Lauderdale. But the traffic is brutal, and for an in-office role, that commute usually isn't sustainable.

So the real question is where you live. About half of the open Fort Lauderdale postings also list other offices, often Miami or West Palm Beach. Ask which office the role can sit in before you rule it out.

What no posting tells you: which groups are actually busy, which openings are already spoken for, and how flexible a firm really is about where you sit. That's what the call is for.

What they pay.

Cravath-paying firmsThe market benchmark
$225,000 for first-years, up to $435,000 for eighth-years, plus bonus.
Other Am Law firmsClose behind
Typically within $10,000 to $50,000 of Cravath. Strong bonuses can close the gap.

At large firms, base salary is set by class year. More on Cravath scale pay in Miami.

Open now.

Searches I'm working on that include Fort Lauderdale. Firm names stay confidential until we talk.

Real estateAm Law firm · Any South Florida office
Mid-Level Commercial Real Estate Transactional Associate →

See some current attorney openings. Most of what I'm working on never gets posted, so if you don't see your fit, reach out anyway.

How it works.

We talk first. I want to know what you're doing now, what you want more of, what you want less of, and what would motivate you to make a move.

Then I tell you which firms make sense, and which don't, who's growing and declining, internal feedback and information. Nothing about you goes to a firm without your written OK.

More on how I work with attorneys.

FAQ

Are law firms hiring attorneys in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. About 80 associate, partner and counsel roles were open in Fort Lauderdale at any given time over the past year, according to SurePoint Legal Insights job data. 167 new roles opened in that time, and 167 closed.
What practice areas are most in demand in Fort Lauderdale?
Litigation, by a wide margin. It accounts for about 4 in 10 open postings, followed by corporate, real estate, insurance and labor and employment. Insurance defense, coverage and workers' compensation make up roughly a quarter of all openings.
How much experience do Fort Lauderdale firms want?
Most postings ask for two to five years, and two to three is the most common minimum.
Can I work in Fort Lauderdale and live in Miami?
It's only about 27 miles from Brickell to downtown Fort Lauderdale, but the traffic is brutal. For an in-office role, that commute usually isn't sustainable. Many Fort Lauderdale postings also list Miami or other South Florida offices, so it's worth asking which office a role can sit in.
Do attorneys pay a fee?
No. Attorneys never pay us a fee. If a placement is made, the hiring firm pays the recruiting fee.
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