One in three firms and corporate counsel plan to add staff in first quarter of 2012

Around one third of law firms and corporate counsel in the US plan to add legal staff in the first quarter of 2012, according to the quarterly Robert Half Legal Hiring Index, released last week. The survey found that 31 percent of lawyers interviewed plan to add staff in the next quarter, while 4 percent plan to cut personnel – giving a net 27 per cent increase in projected hiring, up 3 per cent from the previous quarter’s forecast of 24 per cent. “Although law firms continue to have a cautious hiring outlook, they’re optimistic enough about their prospects to want to add full-time staff in key legal and support positions that bolster growth,” said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. “They continue to focus on hiring senior- and partner-level lawyers with substantial books of business and expertise in high-demand practice areas, such as bankruptcy and foreclosure, litigation, and labor and employment law.”

One in three firms and corporate counsel plan to add staff in first quarter of 2012 bizjournals.com Sat, Dec 31, 2011