Abundance of laid-off lawyers offers rich pickings for contr

• On the job front, summer is off to a sad start. According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the legal sector lost 3,900 jobs in June. Moreover, the BLS adjusted its previously mildly optimistic report for May (which noted a gain of 300 law jobs) to show that in fact 600 jobs were lost that month.
• In the UK, a recent survey of graduate employers by the Association of Graduate Recruiters has found that law provides the highest starting salaries for graduates, out-paying banking and financial services for those just out of university. However, it’s also the sector with the most rapidly diminishing pool of jobs; while the overall number of graduate vacancies across industries fell 6.9 percent, law firms reported a 11.8 percent drop in the number of openings.
• Although full-time, benefit-paying jobs are still scarce, experienced layoff victims might find more opportunities for contract work as law departments take on project-based attorneys to handle increasing workloads while corporate budgets remain tight. According to The Legal Intelligencer, “A typical candidate right now would have experience at either an AmLaw 200 firm or a specialized boutique, and oftentimes will have law department experience as well.” We might bemoan the layoffs that resulted in thousands of talented attorneys being out of work, but from the perspective of recruiters and law departments, “The pool of contract attorneys right now is exceptional,” as noted by James LaRosa of staffing firm JuriStaff.

- posted by vera