Lawyers looking for a better work-life balance are no longer moving only to in-house roles but are increasingly choosing smaller law firms where they can still practise law.
That is according to Robert Half vice president Stacy Manton, who also says that many of these smaller firms are adopting a hiring strategy previously seen primarily in larger firms: interviewing candidates proactively, even before a formal job opening.
Lawyers seek better work-life balance without leaving private practice
Manton says the legal profession has long been associated with demanding hours and high-pressure environments, sometimes leading lawyers to seek in-house roles as an escape.
He says lawyers are now trying to achieve the same without giving up their practice. “They just move to a smaller firm that offers more flexibility.”
While the latest Robert Half’s report does not provide concrete data to support the claim, Manton notes that he has encountered multiple cases in the past month.
“The lawyers are usually [moving] from big law firms or top-notch boutiques … in their respective practice areas,” he says.
He adds that lawyers transitioning from large to small firms usually see similar pay cuts to those transitioning from private practice to in-house roles.
"It’s good that there are these options where they can continue working in a law firm, but with more reasonable billable-hours expectations,” Manton says.
Boutiques start to hire proactively
Manton says a second emerging trend is that smaller boutique firms are starting to adopt more proactive hiring strategies.
For some time, he says that larger law firms have hired in advance, bringing in lawyers even when they do not have an immediate vacancy but anticipate enough work to justify the addition.
He says smaller firms, traditionally more cautious in their hiring practices, are now beginning to follow suit. However, their approach differs slightly due to budget constraints.
Instead, smaller law firms are initiating the interview process early, hoping that a clear need will emerge when the hiring process is finalized.
Even if there is no room to hire the candidate immediately, the smaller firm is looking at a significantly shorter process later if the candidate is still interested in the role, he says.
“It's a great way … to get the best candidates by having a pipeline ready to go for when you are ready to hire,” he adds.
3-5 years of experience remains the hiring sweet spot
The report identified lawyers with four to nine years of experience as the most in-demand group. However, Manton says that the three-to-five-year mark remains the sweet spot for firms seeking new hires in private practice.
“I know the report says four to nine years, and that is also accurate because hiring is happening quite a lot there, but three to five years has long been, and still is, the most desirable hiring area for law firms,” he says.
This demand is primarily driven by experience and the ease of integrating mid-level associates into a new firm.
“If you've worked three years in a law firm practising in one area, there's just going to be less of a ramp-up when you do decide to switch firms,” he says.
Manton says profit margins and billable-hour rates are also key factors, making mid-level associates particularly attractive to firms.
Firms not looking to expand
According to the report, 43 percent of legal leaders are looking to hire for new permanent positions, and 54 percent are planning to only hire for vacated positions in 2025.
It also shows that around half of legal leaders plan to rely more on contract talent.
More than half of the legal leaders reported a skills gap within their department, and just under half said that the skills gap increased compared to the previous year.
The report shows that the main priorities for law firms this year will be expanding into new practice areas, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, retention and succession planning, and integrating AI and legal technology.
It adds that legal departments in companies put an even stronger emphasis on technology adoption as two of their main priorities were technology implementation and AI innovation.