BigLaw’s Next Hiring Wave Will Be Built Around Urgency, Not Optimism
LEGAL MARKET BRIEF — A weekly analysis of law firm hiring trends, lateral moves, compensation pressure, and market shifts across BigLaw, midsize, boutique, and government-to-firm transitions.
Weekly market snapshot
Legal demand stayed unusually strong through 2025, averaging 2.5% growth and hitting 4.4% in July as tariffs, trade friction, and federal restructuring pushed clients toward outside counsel.
Firms are still spending aggressively to win the next cycle: average technology investment rose 9.7%, and lawyer compensation increased 8.2%.
Pr…
