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The Changing Legal Landscape and What It Means for Legal Jobs

published August 18, 2008

By CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search left
Published By
( 15 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
<<The most important thing to remember is that the legal job market changes about every ten years. In the 1980s, the legal field grew and expanded because new types of law were being practiced, solo practitioners were working as hard as corporate attorneys, and there seemed to be more than enough lawsuits for everybody to have at least two files on their desk and one BMW in their garage.

Currently, however, the legal employment market is in a funk due to the economy. Of course, chalking the current weakness up to the economy is a little simplistic; there are many specific factors have put the legal job market in such distress. Firms base their employment numbers on quarterly earnings, so bottom line, if the firm isn't making money, it won't be hiring new staff or counsel. Another factor is performance: if you're not bringing in clients, then the firm isn't brining in money. Typically, obtaining new clients is the partners' responsibility, but file clerks and legal secretaries are usually the first to be let go when the partners fail to bring in more cases.


In the past, obtaining employment with a law firm usually meant you would stay there until it was time to retire. And indeed, legal jobs remain a solid career choice, the United States court system isn't going away anytime soon, and the number of lawyers graduating and finding jobs remains high. The market seems to be shifting toward other areas, though, as many firms have had to change their way of doing business.

Some of the best areas to practice in right now are immigration, intellectual property, real estate, privacy, and environmental law. With the upcoming presidential election, a changing of the guards will bring a new set of challenges to the table. Immigration laws are lax and might need to be refined, for example. Similarly, changes in the housing market are bound to provide legal jobs to those who have experience consulting with real estate agents.

Generally speaking, as the economy remains in the doldrums, the legal market will change, offices will be moved, and new faces will appear. Those who don't embrace change won't survive. The best advice is to keep an open mind and an updated yet adaptable resume. Those who once felt anchored to their desks may find themselves moving to another state or changing focus to a more popular field of law.

Alternative Summary

Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placement attract millions of reads each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.

More about Harrison

About LawCrossing

LawCrossing has received tens of thousands of attorneys jobs and has been the leading legal job board in the United States for almost two decades. LawCrossing helps attorneys dramatically improve their careers by locating every legal job opening in the market. Unlike other job sites, LawCrossing consolidates every job in the legal market and posts jobs regardless of whether or not an employer is paying. LawCrossing takes your legal career seriously and understands the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.LawCrossing.com.

published August 18, 2008

By CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search left
( 15 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.