☝️ Legal jobs held steady in December, and in-house hires are expected to rise

The year didn’t end well for the American economy. Job numbers declined in December for the first time since in eight months (women bore the brunt of the loss). 

But legal jobs basically stayed even, according to Law.com. 

• It was technically a slight loss: Legal jobs were down by 200 in December, an almost inconsequential loss given the 1.2 million legal jobs in the US. “Given what the overall economy did in December and the jobs report for the rest of industry, I think legal is probably winning,” said consultant John Cashman. 

• Gains had been consistent before December: About 5,000 legal jobs had been added each month since April. 

There may never be a full recovery

Despite more optimistic days compared to last spring, the legal industry still needs to rebound. Before the pandemic, there were about 1.6 million legal jobs in the US. Because many firms and companies have discovered remote work, it’s possible some of those jobs -- especially for support staff -- will never return.  

The Verdict

While many legal jobs will continue to falter, other sectors are expected to boom, especially in-house legal departments. After dealing with the pandemic, companies have realized the versatility and importance of legal.