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Elias Legal Jobs Index Q1 FY22 | LPI

I am writing this just coming out of 107 days of lockdown in Sydney so how the potential new outbreak affects business confidence is an unknown. Most lawyers I am speaking to are still very bullish and aggressively hiring across most practice areas and levels. We are starting to find face to face interviews are coming back. Most firms are still working partly remote and partly on-site. There is a particularly positive response from junior lawyers who have missed out on face to face mentoring and learning from being in and around other professionals in an office setting.  Some lawyers are actually meeting colleagues for the first time, as they have worked with the firm for months remotely.  It is clear that things will not return to the pre-covid normal. 

The firms that insist on full-time back in the office are at risk of losing talent to competitors offering greater flexibility. Salaries are also on the rise as demand outstrips supply of experienced legal talent. 

The COVID outbreak has indeed changed us on so many levels and it has pushed us to accept a completely new version of our day to day lives.

The last two years have profoundly influenced the way we work as well with more companies adopting the hybrid approach, allowing employees to work part-time from home.

With everyone coming back to the office, another question rises: Mandatory vaccination or not?  This will be an interesting topic to keep our eyes on.  

According to the Jobs Index from last quarter, other than interviews being postponed or moved to zoom the following trends have been observed:

  • Biggest jump in roles are corporate and M&A

  • Double the number of tax roles

  • 50% increase in litigation and dispute resolution roles

  • 27%- 30% increase in insurance/reinsurance roles and real estate

  • 18% increase in banking and finance roles

  • there was a slight decline in technology, employment and personal injury roles

  • family roles decreased by 62%.

The main levels of hiring were at the director/partner level with a 125% increase and with a 66% increase in graduate/entry roles.

JOBS INDEX Q1 FY22

Area Q4 FY21 Q1 FY22 % change

 

Banking & Finance

56

66

18%

Corporate / M&A

65

93

43%

Employment

41

37

-9%

Family

8

3

-62%

Insurance / Reinsurance

33

43

30%

Litigation / Dispute Resolution

50

75

50%

Real Estate

65

83

27%

Regulatory

22

16

-27%

Personal Injury

53

47

-11%

Insolvency

5

4

-20%

Tax

6

13

116%

Technology

37

35

-5%

TOTAL

491

515

5%

 

Seniority

Q4 FY21

Q1 FY22

% change

Department / Div Head

7

4

-43%

Director / Partner

4

9

125%

Graduate / Entry

6

10

66%

Junior Associate / Manager

74

61

-17%

Mid Associate / Manager

298

373

25%

Snr Associate / Manager

220

225

2%

 

Methodology: the Elias Legal Jobs Index is based from sample data extracted from Sydney and Melbourne law firm advertisements.

Author Elias Recruitment

If you have questions about the market or salaries please contact Jason Elias on jason@eliasrecruitment.com or 02 9555 5711. Jason Elias is the Founder and CEO of Elias Recruitment, a boutique legal recruitment consultancy that specialises in finding lawyers for law firms, NFPs, and corporate in-house teams.

Also read top viewed Ai Legal article: The Role of AI in Legal Research.

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