Throughout the remainder of 2018, litigation should yield the greatest legal job prospects. More than half (52 percent) of U.S.-based lawyers surveyed by Robert Half Legal expect the litigation practice area to be the top driver of job growth at their law firms or companies in the second half of 2018, followed by general business or commercial law (12 percent) and real estate (9 percent).

What’s triggering this uptick in litigation hiring in the South Florida area? Here are a few reasons:

  • The job market—The unemployment rate in Florida for May 2018 was at 3.8 percent matching the U.S. national unemployment percentage. Legal jobs throughout the United States also reached new lows with unemployment reigning steady at 2.2 percent. More companies are making moves to the Sunshine State, who in turn are hiring local counsel for litigation.
  • Economy—As the local economy improves, money becomes available in the market and companies have a better chance at collectability. Internationally, Latin American business has increased over the last year with corruption type investigations coming out of the region.
  • Hurricane Irma—After the devastating hurricane last year, the need for insurance related litigation rose, specifically with lawsuits against property and casualty insurers.