Attorneys Plan Increased Hiring in Next 12 Months, Survey Shows: Corporate Governance, Litigation and Intellectual Property Expertise in Demand

2 June 2006

The hiring outlook for law firms and corporate legal departments remains positive, a new survey shows. Fifty-five percent of attorneys surveyed plan to add personnel in the coming year. Only 1 percent of respondents anticipate reductions in personnel. These results reflect little change from a similar poll conducted in 2005, in which 55 percent of lawyers projected an increase in attorney hiring and 3 percent indicated a decrease in staffing. Corporate governance, litigation and intellectual property were identified as the areas of law expected to experience the most growth in the next 12 months.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a leading staffing service specializing in attorneys, paralegals and other highly skilled legal professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 300 attorneys among the 1,000 largest law firms and corporations in the United States and Canada; 200 attorneys were polled for the 2005 survey. All respondents have at least three years of experience in the legal field.

Lawyers were asked, "Do you expect the number of lawyers employed with your law firm or corporate legal department to increase, stay the same or decrease in the next 12 months?" Their responses:

2006 2005

Increase 55% 55%

Stay the same 41% 41%

Decrease 1% 3%

Don't know 3% 1%

100% 100%

Lawyers were asked, "In your opinion, which one of the following areas of law will experience the most growth in the next 12 months?" Their responses:

Ethics and corporate governance 25%

Litigation 23%

Intellectual property 19%

Real estate 8%

Bankruptcy 5%

General corporate/commercial 5%

Employment law 2%

Other 7%

Don't know 6%

100%

"In corporate legal departments, ongoing regulatory requirements; corporate expansion, both organic and through mergers and acquisitions; and a larger business advisory role for in-house counsel are creating demand for experienced attorneys," said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. "More companies are looking to their lawyers to not only handle legal and regulatory matters, but also consider overall business objectives and identify potential revenue opportunities with minimal risk."

Volkert added that litigation and intellectual property continue to generate significant case work for law firms. "Legal professionals who demonstrate a proven track record in high-demand practice areas may receive multiple employment offers in the current market. Many firms are offering enhanced compensation and benefits to attract top candidates and retain existing staff."

About Robert Half Legal

Robert Half Legal is the legal staffing division of Robert Half International. The company provides law firms and corporate legal departments with highly skilled professionals, including attorneys, paralegals and legal support personnel, on a project and full-time basis. Robert Half Legal offers online job search services at http://www.roberthalflegal.com.

Source: prnewswire

All trademarks and copyrighted information contained herein are the property of their respective owners.