Litigation is expected to yield the most job opportunities in the first half of the year, according to a study released today from Robert Half Legal.

Twenty-six percent of lawyers interviewed said their law firms or companies will be adding legal jobs in the first half of 2015. Sixty percent of lawyers said they expect to only fill vacant posts, while 7 percent said they would not fill vacant positions or create new ones. Just 1 percent of respondents anticipate staff reductions in the next six months.

Thirty-six percent of respondents cited litigation as the practice area that will generate the greatest number of legal job opportunities in the first half of 2015. General business/commercial law and real estate followed at 14 percent and 9 percent respectively.

Among lawyers who cited “litigation” as a response, 45 percent cited insurance defense and 23 percent cited commercial litigation as areas of litigation that will offer the greatest job opportunities in the first half of 2015.

“Law firms are making strategic hires to meet client demands and expand profitable practice groups, such as commercial litigation,” said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. “As litigation caseloads continue to rise, experienced associates with business development skills and backgrounds in medical malpractice, personal injury and intellectual property will be highly marketable.”

The survey is based on 200 telephone interviews with lawyers in the US who have hiring authority within their organizations. It included 100 respondents employed at law firms with 20 or more employees and 100 respondents employed at companies with 1,000 or more employees.