- Legal industry recruiters have seen an uptick in searches for certain lawyers.
- Attorneys in tech, healthcare, and restructuring have been in demand, and M&A and white-collar work is expected to pick up in 2021.
- Some firms took advantage of the opportunity to strategically hire partners, and this trend is likely to continue in the year ahead.
Like virtually every other industry, the legal sector felt the initial shockwaves of the pandemic. Earlier last year, law firms pulled the trigger on layoffs, furloughs, and pay cuts, while certain practice areas saw a slow-down in work as clients sought to reduce spending.
And, while legal recruiting didn’t escape unscathed, especially in the earlier months – total hiring in 2020 was down by almost 28% compared to the previous year, per data from Firm Prospects – the situation quickly stabilized.
“The legal industry as a whole has realized that it hasn’t been hit as hard as everyone thought they would’ve been,” said Meredith Frank, a partner at the recruiting firm, Major, Lindsey & Africa. “They got through it stronger than they would’ve expected.”
