Legal Job Market Report May 2020
in Legal Job Market Reports

Legal Job Market Report May 2020

Here is our summary of the current state of the legal job market:

Permanent Recruitment
Bordering on non-existent, although a number of firms are reporting being very busy. Candidates not yet willing to apply for roles as too much uncertainty and firms therefore not getting many applications for vacancies cropping up.

Locum Recruitment
Not busy but a steady trickle. Conveyancing locum work is virtually non-existent. Firms are looking at options for using ad hoc support as and when needed when lockdown has ended and work starts to pick up.

Redundancies
We anticipate redundancies across the board in July/August when the furlough payments start to wind up and cash flow is an issue. We have had reports of redundancies at all levels but we have also had a number of enquiries from lawyers looking for work whilst under furlough. The anticipated wave of redundancies later this year may be coupled with a large increase in ad hoc consultancy work as law firms of all shapes and sizes seek to survive.

Law Firms for Sale
Quite a busy area of work at the moment – seem to be a number of potential buyers out there taking the opportunity during the lockdown to take a look at options to purchase. We have 34 law firms for sale at the moment for details of current law firms for sale please click here to view our list.

Permanent Jobs – Candidate Advice
Our advice to candidates looking for new permanent roles is to register and apply for jobs wherever you see them as you would normally, but don’t expect a response from law firms or agencies for some time to come. However you never know who may be in need of staff and when the market reactivates itself so it is still worth going through the motions.

Locum Jobs – Candidate Advice
Be prepared to compete for work. Instead of getting 1-2 locums expressing an interest in covering each assignment we are getting 10-15.

Statistics

General Statistics for April 2020 (comparison is with April 2019)
New permanent vacancies added: 6 (25)
New locum vacancies added: 9 (32)
New candidates registering: 21 (100)

Jonathan Fagan

Jonathan Fagan LLM FIRP is Managing Director of Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment. He has been recruiting solicitors and legal support staff for law firms and in house legal departments for over 20 years and handles roles from junior fee earners through to partners and law firm sales/purchases. A non-practising solicitor on the Roll since 2000, he is also the author of a number of legal career books, which are available at www.ten-percent.uk. You can contact Jonathan at cv@ten-percent.co.uk