Legal services workforce needs to adapt according to Law Society report

Key findings from the Law Society’s strategic workforce planning report include that the legal services market needs to adapt to changes such as deregulation of the profession, commercial pressures and the increasing adoption of technology.

The report, which was released to help employers understand how to plan their workforce until 2027, predicted that employment in the legal services sector will fall by 13,000, while legal professionals will comprise an additional 10% of the workforce (57% compared to 47% in 2017).

The number of legal secretaries was also expected to decline by nearly two thirds and other office support staff to decrease by around a quarter.

The legal sector will need to recruit around 100,000 employees from 2017-2027, or around 10,000 per year. Of this, around 7,000 will be legal professionals and around 2,800 legal associate professionals.

At present around 3,100 graduates and 3,300 returners enter legal professional roles each year.

Law Society president Simon Davis said: “Employers may need to engage even more with higher education providers to encourage talent into the sector and profession.

“The most prevalent skills gaps – although these gaps are decreasing – are likely to be around problem solving, client handling, and planning and organisation.

“Worryingly, this report also suggests the numbers of recruits exhibiting skills gaps in literacy and numeracy will be higher.

“For anyone aiming for a career in the law, it is worth noting that a common theme from employers was that firms were paying more attention in recruitment to people skills, such as communication and team working, whereas in the past they had only looked at technical legal skills. Commercial awareness and management skills were also seen as important.”

You can read the full report on the Law Society website.