It’s that time of year again! The festivities are already underway and it seems to come quicker every year!
But what have we seen in the legal market in 2023?
How has it changed for you?
This Month: What has 2023 held in the legal jobs market?
We have seen areas of law remain buoyant in terms of opportunities. Generally, this year has seen a good level of opportunities in a variety of fields.
Each year we assess the NQs that we encounter and those trainees that qualified this year have moved into a wide range of disciplines. The trainees we are looking at are generally across East Anglia, Essex, East Midlands and into London. Looking at the pie chart of areas we can see ever more specialist and niche roles from the very start of people’s careers. For example French law, Media/ Music, Charities, Life Sciences, Education all show clear specialism from this early stage.
Private Client remains a steady focus. Family has maintained its market share from last year which shows continued demand for new entrants to that market, whereas 5 years ago there were not those opportunities.
Residential Property has definitely seen a drop in recent years, and a rise in mixed property roles this year is the first time for a long time that we have seen this. Construction continues to grow to a sizable part of the market, as does Planning/ Environmental law, which shows the complexity and increasing need for advice in both of those sectors.
Corporate, Commercial and Corporate Finance are all very strong, led by people qualifying in and around London. Tech/ IP / Data roles continue to grow and are often specified as part of a commercial role. In house continues to grow as an option at the early stages of a career.
Litigation as a total part of the market remains very busy, as does Employment law. Property Litigation has taken a slight dip and Commercial Litigation has picked up to fill that hole.
As we move away from 2023, I think it is fair to say that firms are still hiring to meet their demands. They are looking for people to fill specific gaps or for carefully considered roles to expand the firm. It continues to be a candidate led market and so it puts you as an individual in a strong position in terms of finding the next step in your career whatever that might be.
Always happy to talk through the market and your options within it, or just to discuss your plans for career development as we move into 2024.
It’s early, but have a great festive break when it comes and enjoy the downtime which hopefully comes with it!
Our office will be closed between Christmas and New Year, but you can always contact me through email, social media, or at the end of a phone!
