Bankruptcies, foreclosures spur attorney hiring trend
Posted on March 16th, 2012 Read time: 1 minutes
The most recent quarterly Robert Half Legal Hiring Index found that 26 percent of lawyers surveyed plan to increase full-time staff during the second quarter of 2012.
With only 4 percent expected reductions, the result was a 22 percent net increase in hiring activity. While this is down five points from the previous quarter, hiring is still expected to "remain active," explains Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal.
"As the number of bankruptcies, foreclosures and lawsuit filings continues to increase, the need for legal counsel in these areas should remain strong," Volkert adds. "Law firms are recruiting experienced candidates to expand lucrative practice groups and pursue new business opportunities."
As such, the area expected to experience the most growth in the coming months is the bankruptcy and foreclosure field.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that despite the hiring trend, some firms are still reluctant to spend on full-time employees. Instead, contract attorneys are sprouting up, getting paid hourly to review documents for law firms and corporate clients. According to the Association of Corporate Counsel, more than one third of the 876 top legal offices said they've used contract workers during the previous fiscal year, the news source reports.
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Posted on March 16th, 2012 Read time: 1 minutes
The most recent quarterly Robert Half Legal Hiring Index found that 26 percent of lawyers surveyed plan to increase full-time staff during the second quarter of 2012.
With only 4 percent expected reductions, the result was a 22 percent net increase in hiring activity. While this is down five points from the previous quarter, hiring is still expected to "remain active," explains Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal.
"As the number of bankruptcies, foreclosures and lawsuit filings continues to increase, the need for legal counsel in these areas should remain strong," Volkert adds. "Law firms are recruiting experienced candidates to expand lucrative practice groups and pursue new business opportunities."
As such, the area expected to experience the most growth in the coming months is the bankruptcy and foreclosure field.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that despite the hiring trend, some firms are still reluctant to spend on full-time employees. Instead, contract attorneys are sprouting up, getting paid hourly to review documents for law firms and corporate clients. According to the Association of Corporate Counsel, more than one third of the 876 top legal offices said they've used contract workers during the previous fiscal year, the news source reports.
