Carson City No. 12 for law grads to consider

Carson City is 12th best among small cities in which newly-minted lawyers could locate, GoodCall, a data research firm, said Tuesday.

The call based on economic and lifestyle factors kept the city just out of the top 10 tier Mayor Robert Crowell had said he was told would be likely when he was asked last week by GoodCall for a comment to accompany the firm’s release of rankings this week. As it turned out, the No. 12 spot put Nevada’s state capital between No. 11 Lincoln in Illinois and No. 13 Ocean City in New Jersey.

The top 10 were listed as, beginning with No. 1: Washington, N.C.; Carlsbard-Artesia, N.M.; Thomaston, Ga.; Roswell, N.M.; Laconia, N.H.; Shelby, N.C.; Barre, Vermont.; Canton, Ill.; Fairbanks, Alaska, and Cheyenne, Wyo.

The rankings were based on such things as: average lawyer salary; housing affordability; amenities such as the arts, entertainment and recreation; and an employment attractiveness rank that combines law job density, availability and competition. The rankings covered small cities best suited by those standards for recent law graduates to consider.

In the comments Crowell supplied to GoodCall he spoke with pride of opportunities here for young adults in employment, recreation and other options. He particularly mentioned a bicycle-friendly environment and ample open space.

GoodCall accompanied its release with remarks about the job market opening up for law graduates after years of scant opportunities, with a low having been reached in 2013.

GoodCall listed Carson City’s average annual lawyer salary at $100,060, lower than all but two of communities ranking above it. The firm said, however, the city’s employment attractiveness rank was eighth. The housing affordability index was 12.63 percent, a percentage higher than eight that ranked in the top 11, while amenities per 1,000 households were listed as 9.63, a number greater than 10 of the top 11.