Mid-level lawyers in demand, particularly in real estate, civil litigation, finds recruiter study

Recruitment agency Robert Half’s new salary guide shows that the demand for legal talent continues to surpass the talent supply and that the need for legal skills follows the high demand for law firm services in major markets.

The hottest jobs on the market are lawyers with four-plus years of experience. Firms are hungry for civil litigators, real estate lawyers, and law clerks. As law firms struggle to fill full-time positions, they are seeking professional help to fill contract roles to keep projects on schedule, the guide says.

“About half of legal employers say finding candidates with the required skill sets is their greatest hiring challenge,” says Michelle Dunnill, regional director, Toronto, at Robert Half.

In contrast to other Canadian legal employers, the salary guide found that corporate legal departments have pulled back their hiring.

Dunnill says that the market has shifted in the last couple of years from entry-level positions being more in-demand to employers looking for lower-mid-level lawyers.

Robert Half's research from August showed high mobility in the legal profession, with 43 percent of legal professionals surveyed saying they planned on switching jobs by the end of 2023. The recruiting agency and others in their industry have been reporting employers’ difficulty filling positions since September 2022.

Lawyers are looking for better work-life balance through remote and hybrid work arrangements, and employers are making those part of their offers, says Dunnill. However, some employers want their employees full-time in the office, and Robert Half’s recruiters say that rigidity on this point is contributing to positions being left unfilled across Canada.

Robert Half’s August survey indicated that in addition to hybrid work options, higher salaries, better benefits, and perks were the most significant motivators to job applicants. More than half also said they would withdraw from consideration due to poor communication and follow-up from the hiring manager.

“Remote and hybrid options are really a talent draw,” says Dunnill.

A third of legal employers are offering remote or hybrid because they recognize they must adapt to attract skilled candidates, she says.

Some managers only offer full-time remote arrangements to more senior staff, “who have earned their trust,” says Dunnill. But employers holding back this flexibility will have to pay more, as 82 percent of legal professionals say they would require a salary premium if required to show up to the office full-time, she says.  

“Overall, evolving economic conditions have workers and employers reassessing compensation, career priorities, and recruiting strategies.”

The salary guide shows employers are also paying a premium for advanced technical skills, aptitude with machine learning, management experience, research and inflow analysis, and client management.