Nearly half of lawyers expect their firms to hire in the first half of 2018, driven by demand for litigation and data privacy concerns, according to a study released today by Robert Half Legal. Forty-seven percent of lawyers interviewed anticipate their law firms or companies will add legal professionals in the first half of the year.

Thirty-six percent of lawyers said they expect only to fill vacant posts, while 13% said they would neither fill vacant positions nor create new ones. Three percent of respondents anticipate staff reductions in the next six months.

The research also found that on average, 22% of open positions at law firms/companies will be filled on a temporary, project or consulting basis.

“An increase in litigation and regulatory matters is spurring demand for attorneys and legal support staff with relevant expertise,” said Jamy Sullivan, executive director of Robert Half Legal. “Many employers are seeking legal professionals with compliance, data privacy and commercial litigation experience, which is intensifying competition for specialized talent in these areas.”

Litigation is expected to yield the most job opportunities from January through June, cited by 32% of attorneys surveyed. Within the litigation practice area, commercial litigation was identified as the leading driver of job growth, receiving 48% of the survey response.

Other research findings:

• Ninety-one percent of lawyers said finding skilled legal professionals is somewhat or very challenging, and 44% of respondents said that a shortage of qualified candidates is the greatest challenge their law firm/company faces when hiring.
• The top full-time positions being added by law firms/companies in the first half of 2019 are lawyers at 77%, followed by legal secretaries and paralegals at 57% and 51% respectively.
• Eighty percent of lawyers are concerned about losing top performers to other opportunities.
• Flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities and company perks were cited as the best incentives for retaining employees, aside from compensation or bonus.

The survey is based on 200 telephone interviews with lawyers in the US who have hiring authority within their organizations.