If the traffic isn't too bad—and, granted, that's a pretty big if—it only takes about half an hour to drive from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica. But 30 minutes is a long time in the fast-paced tech and startup community.

As the so-called “Silicon Beach” continues to draw entrepreneurs, more and more law firms have followed their clients to West Los Angeles, each claiming its territory in the fast-growing tech hub.

But legal recruiters who have known the market for years are wary that Los Angeles, a market traditionally known for entertainment and media, might not have enough qualified legal talent to fill the needs of those firms.