Entry-Level Law Firm Hiring Stagnated in 2017, Survey Says

Law firm hiring hit another rough patch in 2017 after a decade of volatility as some larger law firms pulled back, according to a new report, “Perspective on 2017 Law Student Recruiting.”

“We saw some pulling back, particularly at the largest firms, suggesting that the most recent period of growth has ended,” said James Leipold, executive director of the National Association for Law Placement, a group that tracks lawyer employment data.

Firms are grappling with sluggish demand for legal services; fiercer competition for pieces of legal business; new legal technologies that are eroding traditional ways of delivering legal services; and, ...