New Quarterly Report Tracks Expected Hiring in Legal Field

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The employment outlook for legal professionals is looking brighter for the second quarter, according to The Robert Half Legal Hiring Index. More than one-quarter (26 percent) of lawyers interviewed recently said they plan to increase staff levels in the second quarter of 2010, while virtually none anticipated declines.  

The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a leading staffing service specializing in lawyers, paralegals and other highly skilled legal professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with 100 lawyers at law firms with 20 or more employees, and 100 corporate lawyers at companies with 1,000 or more employees.  All of the respondents have hiring authority within their organizations.

Lawyers were asked, "Does your law firm/company plan to increase or decrease the number of full-time legal personnel on your staff during the second quarter of 2010?" Their responses:

    
    
    Increase                    26%
    Decrease                     0%
    No change                   67%
    Don't know                   7%
                               ---
                               100%

Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal, noted that hiring activity will likely be stronger for law firms, as they faced more intense pressure to downsize compared to corporate legal departments. "Law firms that cut deeply during the downturn are planning to add staff to meet existing client demands and prepare for new business," he said. "Delivering superior quality and service requires having the right people in place. Reputation and competitiveness can suffer when a firm is understaffed."

But locating the best candidates may be difficult, the survey results suggest. Forty-one percent of respondents said that it is challenging to find skilled legal professionals in the United States, despite high unemployment rates. Volkert noted that a single legal posting can generate several hundred resumes. "The sheer volume of applicants often makes the process more complicated for hiring managers," he said. "As a result, some firms and departments are relying more heavily on their professional networks, internal referrals and specialized recruiters to identify the best candidates for open roles."  

Although the anticipated rise in hiring activity is a positive sign for those in the legal field, even more welcome news may be the overall sense of optimism: 80 percent of lawyers interviewed are at least somewhat confident in their organizations' prospects for growth in the second quarter. "Bankruptcy, foreclosure and litigation practices have been strong for some time now and should continue to grow," Volkert said. "Intellectual property, labor and employment, and securities law also have seen increased hiring demand."  

About The Robert Half Legal Hiring Index

The Robert Half Legal Hiring Index is based on 200 telephone interviews with lawyers: 100 of the respondents are employed at firms with 20 or more employees, and 100 are employed at companies with 1,000 or more employees.

The interviews were conducted by an independent research firm. Information from the study is featured in The Robert Half Professional Employment Report -- the first study of its kind to monitor the hiring environment for professional-level positions exclusively. Based on more than 4,000 telephone interviews with executives throughout the United States, it provides insight on employment trends to help businesses and job seekers prepare for the upcoming quarter. To see how hiring within the legal field compares to other sectors, please visit www.roberthalf.us/per.

About Robert Half Legal

Robert Half Legal is the legal staffing division of Robert Half International. The company provides law firms and corporate legal departments with highly skilled professionals, including lawyers, paralegals and legal support personnel, on a project and full-time basis. Robert Half Legal offers online job search services at www.roberthalflegal.com.

SOURCE Robert Half Legal