Hiring for new permanent roles Hiring for new permanent roles

Hiring for vacated permanent roles Hiring for vacated permanent roles

Facing challenges finding skilled talent Facing challenges finding skilled talent

Lawyers and managers list their strategic priorities for 2024

Technology integration Expansion of practice areas Data security and privacy compliance Alternative fee structures Legal optimization and efficiency Technology implementation and automation Risk and litigation management AI innovation and governance

Legal professionals in highest demand

The following positions are in the top 15% of in-demand legal roles, according to an analysis of thousands of job postings and Robert Half placements: Contract manager, 10+ years’ experience Lawyer/attorney, 2-3 years’ experience Lawyer/attorney, 4-9 years’ experience Legal assistant Paralegal, 2-3 years’ experience Paralegal manager

79% of lawyers and managers plan to hire more contract professionals

General administrative (e.g., administrative assistant, file clerk) Law firm administration (e.g., legal administrator, office manager) Legal specialist (e.g., patent agent, records manager) Legal operations Legal administrative (e.g., legal secretary, administrative assistant) Corporate/in-house counsel
40% of legal professionals have their sights set on a new job. Employers who want to tap into this new pool of talent and recruit the best candidates will need to provide a competitive compensation package, flexible work options and career development opportunities. Planning to look for a new job Currently looking for a new job Not considering a job search Planning to look for a new job Currently looking for a new job Not considering a job search

Current unemployment rates

Percentages reflect unemployment rates for select positions that were near or below the national unemployment rate of 3.8% for March 2024. Current Population Statistics report, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 5, 2024. 1.0% — Lawyers 3.4% — Paralegals and legal assistants
Over 1 million new positions from more than 8,000 independent job boards and company websites are represented in this report, including 100,000-plus placements from Robert Half. Positions are categorized into more than 450 job titles within Robert Half’s 2024 Salary Guide using a proprietary mapping methodology that employs state-of-the-art large language models. This dataset includes roles across the finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, human resources, and healthcare professions. Surveys were developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. Results may not total 100% due to rounding or allowing for multiple responses. Respondents included executives, hiring managers and workers from small (20-99 employees), medium (100-999 employees) and large (1,000+ employees) businesses in private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across the United States.