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Survey: Q3 legal hiring to increase

June 09, 2010

Thirty-three percent of lawyers said they plan to add full-time legal jobs in the third quarter, according to a survey by Robert Half Legal, a division of Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI). Only 2% plan to cut staff for a net increase of 31% -- up five percentage points from the second-quarter survey.

Eighty-three percent of lawyers were confident in their organization's prospects for growth. However, 47% said it was challenging to find skilled legal professionals.

"In particular, law firms specializing in bankruptcy, foreclosure and litigation are adding staff to meet increased demand for their services," said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. "Successive waves of bankruptcies and restructurings, along with a surge in labor relations and employment-related litigation, are fueling hiring."

The survey included 100 lawyers at law firms with 20 or more employees and 100 corporate lawyers at companies with 1,000 or more employees. All respondents have hiring authority within their organizations.