© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V. All rights reserved. This material is the

confidential property of Robert Half Legal. Copying or reproducing this material is strictly prohibited. © 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

2015 Legal Hiring and

Compensation Trends

© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

Practice Areas in Demand

2

Areas of law

expected

to experience

the most growth

in the

next two years

Source: Survey of 200 lawyers among the largest law firms and corporations in the United States. The survey

was commissioned by Robert Half Legal and conducted by an independent research firm

2

© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

The Outlook for Lawyers

Hiring tied to practice area,

sector expertise

Tenure, experience in demand:

– Senior and midlevel associates

– Knowledge of particular industry or sector

– Experience or degrees in engineering,

science fields, banking and finance

– Technical proficiency

Market for new and first-year associates

improving but still modest

3 3

© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

The Outlook for Paralegals

Paralegals assuming broader roles

Managing a wide range of

assignments

Hybrid/blended paralegal positions

growing

Backgrounds in demand:

– Practice area expertise – compliance,

contract/lease administration, eDiscovery

– Insurance, financial services, real estate,

healthcare

– Bachelor’s degree, paralegal certification

– Technical skills/experience and aptitude

4 4

© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

The Outlook for Legal Secretaries

Lawyer-to-legal secretary ratios

are changing

Most marketable legal secretaries

possess:

– Three to five years of experience

– Backgrounds in high-demand practice areas

– Adaptability, resourcefulness and initiative

– Technical aptitude

5 5

© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

2015 Outlook

Average increase for starting salaries across the legal

field in the U.S. will be 3.0%

Compensation for some positions is expected to

exceed the national average:

Paralegal/

Legal Assistant

(4-6 years’ experience)

midsize law firm

+4.5% +4.9%

Licensed Lawyer (10+ years’ experience)

small/ midsize law firm

6 6

© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

Fastest Growing Industries

7

1. Healthcare

2. Manufacturing

3. Professional

Services

4. Real Estate

5. Technology

1. Manufacturing

2. Financial Services

3. Healthcare

4. Professional

Services

5. Transportation

1. Manufacturing

2. Healthcare

3. Financial Services

4. Service

5. Distribution

1. Healthcare

2. Construction

3. Manufacturing

4. Real Estate

5. Technology

1. Manufacturing

2. Healthcare

3. Distribution

4. Nonprofit

5. Technology

1. Healthcare

2. Manufacturing

3. Financial Services

4. Nonprofit

5. Technology

1. Healthcare

2. Manufacturing

3. Pharmaceutical

4. Real Estate

5. Nonprofit

1. Healthcare

2. Manufacturing

3. Oil & Gas/Energy

4. Financial Services

5. Construction/

Real Estate

1. Healthcare

2. Manufacturing

3. Real Estate

4. Construction

5. Financial Services

© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

Positions in Demand

1. Litigation Legal

Secretary

2. Contract

Administrator

3. Corporate

Paralegal

4. Lawyer

5. Patent Lawyer

1. Paralegal

2. Legal Secretary

3. Contract

Administrator

4. Patent Paralegal

5. Legal Assistant

1. Litigation Legal Secretary

2. Corporate Compliance

Paralegal

3. Document Review Lawyer

4. Intellectual Property

Paralegal

5. Litigation Paralegal

1. Corporate Paralegal

2. Contract Administrator

3. Litigation Legal

Secretary

4. Contract Manager

5. Legal Assistant

1. Corporate

Paralegal

2. Commercial Real

Estate Paralegal

3. Litigation Legal

Secretary

4. Litigation Paralegal

5. Litigation Legal

Assistant

1. Litigation Paralegal

2. Intellectual

Property Paralegal

3. Real Estate Lawyer

4. Litigation Legal

Secretary

5. Commercial

Leasing Lawyer

1. Paralegal

2. Contract

Administrator

3. Legal Secretary

4. Lawyer

5. Legal Compliance

Manager

1. Paralegal

2. Litigation Legal

Secretary

3. Contract

Administrator

4. Corporate Lawyer

5. Medical Malpractice

Paralegal

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© 2014 Robert Half Legal. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

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