Since the financial crisis struck in 2007, in-house legal departments have focused on reducing costs, resulting in hiring freezes and layoffs. In 2010, the U.S. economy showed signs of stability, a return to growth and improved consumer confidence, but in-house hiring remained static. So a surge of confidence among legal recruiters and hiring experts, bolstered by a crop of promising legal hiring surveys, should come as a welcome change to both job-seeking lawyers and strapped legal departments.
While legal hiring survey results vary based on the pool of participants, they all point to gradual but real growth. Hildebrandt Baker Robbins’ 2010 Law Department Survey reports that 41 percent of law departments expect an increase in lawyers between 2010 and 2011, while only 8 percent expect a decrease. In contrast, between 2008 and 2009 one-third of participants reported a decrease.
