For every three legal positions in Richmond, nearly one job is added to the local economy.

The added job is not just in consulting and financial realms, as might be expected.

In the postal service and restaurant industry, and even car washes and security firms, employees are hired because of the legal industry, said Xiaobing Shuai, a senior economist with Chmura Economics & Analytics.

At the end of last year, 5,838 people in the Richmond area were employed in the legal industry. An additional 1,685 workers here support the legal jobs, said Shuai, who analyzed wages, benefits and productivity to compute the numbers.

Richmond is a legal hub because of the courts, companies, lobbyists and law firms headquartered here.

Two of the largest law firms in the nation -- Hunton & Williams LLP and McGuireWoods LLP -- are based here.

They, like others, have grown by opening offices and merging with other firms. Today, McGuireWoods completes a merger with a North Carolina firm, keeping its name and adding 145 attorneys for a total of 900 lawyers nationwide.

Contact Emily C. Dooley at (804) 649-6016 or edooley@timesdispatch.com.