What does legal career success look like in 2022?

The latest research from Axiom reveals UK lawyers are actively looking for new roles and more control over their careers.

Approximately half of corporate lawyers in the UK (48%) are actively looking for a new position, or are planning to exit their current role in the next 1-2 years (51%). No matter where they are in their career journey, a clear majority (72%) say they are considering joining a flexible legal talent provider. These are just a couple of the statistics from our latest survey: “New Life in the Law.” The independent survey conducted by IRN Research, which polled 150 UK-based corporate attorneys across all levels of seniority, found that lawyers have a growing interest in alternative career journeys and are seeking new ways to amass diverse skillsets and expertise.

“Lawyers are looking for a new life in the law,” said Daniel Hayter, Vice President and Managing Director, Europe. “Our survey uncovered a host of changes in attitudes and aspirations about traditional career paths. While some of the shifts have been exacerbated by the pandemic, the overall trend is consistent with what we’ve witnessed in the legal services marketplace for a long time: a growing desire among legal professionals to gain more control and autonomy over their careers and build personalized paths that align to their interests and individual aspirations.

Survey responses show that flexible talent providers have not only become an established part of the legal services sector, but also an increasingly attractive and long-term employment option for corporate legal professionals. Seventy-three percent of lawyers surveyed completely or strongly agree that working for a flexible talent provider would be a long-term career choice.

There’s no going back. Lawyers have realized that they can be just as effective working remotely as they can in person. A clear majority (61%) prefer to work from home rather than returning to the office. Three quarters (75%) agree that working from home has shown them that working for a flexible provider could be a career option.

Pastures New

Lawyers are looking beyond the traditional ‘path to partner’ for new ways to achieve long-term career success.

Client Gap

In-house legal teams often lack multi-disciplinary skills. As a result, they aren't always seen as vital to client-side strategic planning or achieving business outcomes.

Office Exodus

There’s no going back. Lawyers have realized that they can be just as effective working remotely as they can in person.

Focus and Flexibility

Changing client demands and a shift to project-based work have prompted lawyers to rethink traditional roles and assert more influence over their working lives.

Show Me The Money

Legal professionals say that a flexible legal talent provider would need to provide healthy employment benefits and a clear career path in order to be attractive as a career option.

Fact: Free professional development programs are part of the flexible legal talent provider package

Long-Term Control

A majority believe full-time permanent roles aren’t the only income-secure option. Flexible legal talent providers are increasingly seen as more than a temporary or transitional career move.

Fact: The majority of Axiom lawyers see monthly utilization of 90% or more

Sara Morgan, Senior Vice President, Legal Talent says, “Everyone knows that the legal profession is changing by embracing digital transformation and adopting techniques from other sectors such as agile working. It’s happening as part of a wider effort to align with changing client-side demand for increased focus, flexibility, responsiveness and proof that legal services deliver quantifiable value. Flexible talent providers are at the intersection of these critical shifts in how lawyers want to work and how clients want to procure legal services.”

To read the full results of the survey report, fill out the form below.