A career—for life.
Whether you’re looking for your first job in law or making a mid-career move, the culture of a firm is a huge consideration. At Coblentz, we encourage individuality, value collegiality, and genuinely appreciate a good sense of humor.
Coblentz is an independent mid-size law firm with deep roots—more than 125 years in the Bay Area—and an innovative approach to the law and how we practice it. People come to Coblentz because of our record of performance and service; people stay at Coblentz because they love working here.
Talent, ability, and old-fashioned hard work drive our firm’s success, and we believe our size helps seal the deal. We’re small enough to maintain a close connection with our clients and provide the responsiveness they expect, and we’re also large enough and experienced enough to handle the toughest cases and tackle the most complex issues.
When you come to Coblentz, you’ll be working alongside a committed team of gifted lawyers in a creative work environment. Because of our size, you’ll get early hands-on client contact and challenging and exciting work from your first day at Coblentz.
Our firm has a long and robust history of pro bono service and community involvement, and it’s a vital part of our culture. As an attorney at Coblentz, you’ll get the opportunity to work on pro bono matters that are directly relevant to your practice and make a real difference.
Ideal candidates have outstanding academic credentials, comparable law firm experience, exceptional writing and research skills, an enthusiasm for their area of the law, and a commitment to delivering high quality work product in a highly collaborative environment. Successful candidates will also possess strong problem solving and interpersonal skills.
We look for the following competencies in all our associate candidates:
- Knowledge of unconscious bias and a track record of impartiality as a lawyer, colleague, and supervisor
- Strong interpersonal communication skills
- Strong collaboration and relationship building skills
Please see below for our current open roles.
To apply, please send your resume, law school transcript, cover letter, and writing sample (for litigation candidates only) to AttorneyRecruiting@coblentzlaw.com.
Search firms should submit attorney candidates for consideration by emailing AttorneyRecruiting@coblentzlaw.com with candidate materials. Outreach to partners will not be considered formal submissions.
ESTATE PLANNING/FAMILY WEALTH ASSOCIATE
We are seeking associates with at least 3 years of estate planning experience to join our Family Wealth practice group.
Key Responsibilities
- Advise high-net-worth individuals and families on estate and wealth transfer planning, including strategies to minimize income, gift, and estate taxes.
- Draft complex estate planning documents, including revocable and irrevocable trusts, Wills, powers of attorney, and related agreements.
- Assist with trust and estate administration, including preparation of estate tax returns, strategic funding of continuing trusts, probate proceedings and fiduciary compliance.
- Counsel business owners from a range of industries on succession planning.
- Advise philanthropically-inclined clients on charitable giving strategies such as foundations, charitable lead trusts, and charitable remainder trusts.
- Work closely with financial advisors, accountants, and other professionals to develop integrated wealth management solutions.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 3 years of experience with estate planning, trust and estate administration, tax planning, and fiduciary representation.
- Strong knowledge of federal and state tax laws related to estates, gifts, and trusts.
- Experience working with high-net-worth individuals and business owners.
- Excellent drafting, analytical, and communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple client matters efficiently.
- Must be an active member of the California State Bar.
- LL.M. in taxation or estate planning is a plus but not required.
Compensation
Associates are paid an annual salary based on the individual’s Class Year. Class Year is determined by the individual’s years of experience since graduating from law school as well as years of experience in a related field of work. The Firm’s current pay range for associates who have between three to eight years of experience is $235,000 to $325,000.
TRUSTS & ESTATES LITIGATION ASSOCIATE
We are seeking an associate with at least 3 years of trusts & estates litigation experience to join our Litigation practice group.
Key Responsibilities
- Focus on T&E litigation and pre-litigation adversarial trust administrations.
- Collaborate with partners to represent professional fiduciaries, lay fiduciaries, and beneficiaries in all stages of disputes.
- Counsel clients before litigation, represent clients in alternate dispute resolution negotiations, and handle aspects of T&E litigation from trial court level through the appellate process.
- Associate will be a member of the general litigation practice group, and may support commercial litigation matters, as needed.
- Must be an active member of the California Bar.
Compensation
Associates are paid an annual salary based on the individual’s Class Year. Class Year is determined by the individual’s years of experience since graduating from law school as well as years of experience in a related field of work. The Firm’s current pay range for associates who have between three to eight years of experience is $235,000 to $325,000.
LITIGATION ASSOCIATE
We are seeking associates with 2-5 years of experience to join our Litigation practice group.
Offering both trial and appellate experience, our attorneys have worked across industries—from sports to technology, from real estate to the music industry—and in many practice areas, including entertainment, hospitality, intellectual property, class actions, employment, telecommunications and antitrust. We have appeared in virtually every federal and state court in California and in state and federal courts throughout the country.
Qualifications
- 2-5 years of comparable law firm and/or judicial clerkship experience.
- Experience across multiple areas of general commercial litigation. An interest in white collar, land use/CEQA, soft IP, cybersecurity/data privacy, and/or L&E is a plus.
- Exposure to a diverse range of litigation matters, and a desire to be a generalist.
- Must be an active member of the California State Bar.
Compensation
Associates are paid an annual salary based on the individual’s Class Year. Class Year is determined by the individual’s years of experience since graduating from law school as well as years of experience in a related field of work. The Firm’s current pay range for associates who have between two and five years of experience is $220,000 to $275,000.
Even when we are not actively recruiting for a particular role or practice group, we are always interested in hearing from people who share our ideals and our passion for the law. If you’re an attorney with strong academic credentials, demonstrated writing abilities (law review, journal, or judicial clerkship), an entrepreneurial spirit, a commitment to community service, and great interpersonal skills, we’d like to be in touch. Please submit your resume and cover letter to AttorneyRecruiting@coblentzlaw.com.
California Employee and Applicant Privacy Notice
Our staff is an important part of the Coblentz culture, and we offer an environment that values both hard work and a supportive, collaborative approach in order to provide the highest quality service to our clients. We also value stability, predictable growth, mentorship, and promotion from within.
We invite you to consider becoming part of a team committed to excellence and hard work while pursuing the personal and professional commitments that create a healthy and productive workplace.