Attorney Hiring Tied to Practice Area Growth
Paralegals Assuming Broader Roles
Legal Secretaries Expanding Range of Support

Attorney Hiring Tied to Practice Area Growth

Attorneys who can help firms enhance in-demand practice areas by bringing a solid book of business or strong reputation with them are highly sought after. Senior and mid-level attorneys – particularly those with three to six years of experience in growth areas – remain marketable. Candidates for first-year associate positions are encountering a competitive hiring environment, however, and many staff reductions at law firms have occurred at this level.

While many law firms continue to promote from within, small to midsize firms undergoing modest growth are recruiting attorneys for specialized work and have an expanded talent pool to choose from. These firms are benefiting from their ability to deliver quality legal services at a lower cost structure than their larger counterparts.

In the current environment, experience is particularly valued in:

• Practice areas related to the business downturn, such as bankruptcy and foreclosure
• Areas such as labor relations and employment, insurance defense and litigation
• Regulatory and compliance law, as a result of current and anticipated regulatory changes
• Energy and environmental law, due to the renewed emphasis on "green" initiatives
• Intellectual property and patent defense, due in part to an increase in patent prosecution

As law offices become leaner and more cost-conscious, attorneys are increasingly expected to be proficient with popular case management, e-discovery and e-billing software, including Attenex, Concordance, CT Summation and iCONECT. Also in some markets, bilingual attorneys are in demand, especially those who are fluent in Spanish or Chinese.

In the corporate legal environment, general counsel are seeking to reduce reliance on outside counsel, producing opportunities for attorneys with experience in transactional, litigation, compliance and regulatory law. Some corporate hiring also is being driven by the need for attorneys with hard-to-find expertise in niche areas related to specific issues of concern to a company. In addition, attorneys with experience in contracts and licensing (as well as contract administrators) remain in demand. Candidates with experience in international law and foreign language skills are sought by multinational companies.

Paralegals Assuming Broader Roles

Paralegals who can help law firms generate revenue by performing vital legal tasks while also taking on duties in human resources, office administration or financial operations are seeing steady demand. In addition, many tasks previously performed by legal secretaries are being reassigned to paralegals. In the law firm environment, paralegals with experience in active practice areas such as litigation, bankruptcy/foreclosure, medical malpractice and insurance defense are seeing the most opportunities.

Paralegal hiring in corporate settings is now driven by a desire to bring more work in house and keep external legal spending in check. Some legal departments are opting to expand their staff by adding paralegals rather than attorneys, since paralegal salaries are traditionally lower. In-house counsel are assigning paralegals certain higher-level work that might have previously been performed by an associate at an outside firm. Paralegals are helping corporations manage a range of legal tasks, including those related to discovery, trial preparation support and contracts administration.

Strong technology skills are essential for paralegals. In addition to proficiency in basic software such as Microsoft Word and Excel, they are expected to be familiar with widely used legal applications, such as Attenex, Concordance, CT Summation and iCONECT.

Salaries for paralegals are generally expected to remain flat. Those with skills and experience in the most in-demand areas have an advantage, however, and may be able to command higher starting compensation. Opportunities are most likely to be found in corporate legal departments and midsize law firms.

Legal Secretaries Expanding Range of Support

Demand for legal secretaries has softened, along with salaries. Many large firms have consolidated these positions. Legal secretaries who have retained their jobs are supporting more attorneys than in the past, and versatility is a progressively important attribute. In some large law firms, for example, one legal secretary might support four attorneys. Another trend in some markets is to cross-train secretaries and have them function as "floaters" by supporting attorneys in multiple practice areas.

As law firms focus on delivering more value to clients at lower bill rates, they are trimming nonessential support staff and assigning more responsibilities to paralegals or creating hybrid positions. This trend may impact the long-term hiring outlook for legal secretaries. In addition, attorneys also have become more tech-savvy and now handle many responsibilities that might have previously been performed by a secretary.

Because of the changing role of the legal secretary, the most employable professionals will be those who bring a broad range of skills to the table, such as paralegal training, specialized practice area knowledge or administrative experience.