LoginContact UsSitemap
  • Jobs
  • About NALP
  • Join/Get Involved
  • Sections, Groups, and Committees
  • City Groups & Consortia
  • Discussion
  • NALP Bulletin
  • NALPnow!
  • NALP Foundation

Entry-level and Lateral Hiring

    Lawyer Hiring: The Lead Up to the Slow Down (NALP Bulletin, May 2009) — Lateral hiring was off by more than 25% in 2008 according to the findings of NALP's 2008 "Recruiting Snapshot Survey for Legal Employers" reported in the March 2009 NALP Bulletin. This column takes a look at lateral hiring in the year immediately preceding that decrease and provides additional insights on recent law firm hiring by comparing the level of lateral hiring with entry-level hiring.

    Lateral Hiring - Down Just About Everywhere (NALP Bulletin, March 2009) — After five years of growth, lateral hiring was off by more than 25% in 2008. That is the bottom-line finding of NALP's 2008 "Recruiting Snapshot Survey for Legal Employers," which requested information on lateral hiring in 2007 and 2008.

    Lateral Hiring Continues to Outpace Entry-level Hiring (NALP Bulletin, May 2008) — According to information reported by offices in the 2007-2008 NALP Directory of Legal Employers, lateral hiring has been strong, outpacing entry-level hiring for the most recent three years for which data are available (2004-2006).

    Lateral Hiring Is Up in General — But Not Everywhere, (NALP Bulletin, March 2008) — Lateral hiring levels continue to be strong, with the overall volume increasing for the fifth year in a row.

    Lateral Hiring Oupaces Entry-Level Hiring in Recent Years (NALP Bulletin, May 2007) — According to information reported by offices in the 2006-2007 NALP Directory of Legal Employers, lateral hiring has been strong, outpacing entry-level hiring by about 25% in the two most recent years for which data is available.

    Lateral Hiring Up Again (NALP Bulletin, March 2007) — Lateral hiring levels continue to be strong, with the overall volume increasing for the fourth year in a row.

    Lateral Hiring Continues at a Strong Pace (NALP Bulletin, March 2006) — NALP’s “Snapshot of the Recruiting Season” survey requested information on lateral hiring in 2004 and 2005. The results shown on the opposite page are based on reports from 485 employers who reported at least some lateral hiring in one of the two years. Patterns & Practices: Measures of Law Firm Hiring, Leverage & Billable Hours in 2004

    Lateral Hiring Up for the Second Year in a Row (NALP Bulletin, March 2005) — NALP’s "Snapshot of the Recruiting Season" survey requested information on lateral hiring in 2003 and 2004. The results are based on reports from 443 employers who reported at least some lateral hiring in one of the two years.

    Entry-Level Hiring at Law Firms Stabilizes — Lateral Hiring Increases (March 25, 2005 Press Release) — The market for entry-level associates at law firms has stabilized somewhat, according to the March 2005 edition of Patterns & Practices: Measures of Law Firm Hiring, Leverage & Billable Hours, an annual publication from NALP. Law firms decreased entry-level hiring by 8.4% from 2002 to 2003, but projected a decrease of just 1% from 2003 to 2004.

    Patterns & Practices Tracks Entry-Level, Lateral Hiring Trends (NALP Bulletin, April 2004) — Highlights of the findings from Patterns & Practices for 2003.

    Entry-Level Hiring at Law Firms Declines — Lateral Hiring Also Off (March 12, 2004 Press Release) — The market for entry-level associates at law firms has declined, according to the March 2004 edition of Patterns & Practices: Measures of Law Firm Hiring, Leverage & Billable Hours, an annual publication from NALP. Law firms decreased entry-level hiring by 6.8% from 2001 to 2002 and projected a decrease of 8% from 2002 to 2003.

    Lateral Hiring: Recovery after Two Years of Decline (NALP Bulletin, March 2004) — Overall, based on aggregate hiring of 3,568 lateral attorneys in 2003, the volume of hiring increased about 18%, with a median figure of five lateral hires in 2003. The average number hired was nine.

    A Sampling of Findings from Patterns & Practices: Measures of Law Firm Hiring, Leverage and Billable Hours in 2002 (NALP Bulletin, May 2003) — Compared with an aggregate increase of 6.4% in second-year hiring between 2000 and 2001, these same firms reported plans to hire 13% fewer 2Ls in 2002 compared with 2001. But the decrease was expected to be far greater at the largest firms of 501 or more attorneys (-16.8%) and in the West (-20.6%).

    Entry-Level Hiring at Law Firms Stabilizes — Lateral Hiring Drops but Continues to Match Entry-Level Hiring (March 12, 2003 Press Release) — The market for entry-level associates at law firms has stabilized, according to the March 2003 edition of Patterns & Practices: Measures of Law Firm Hiring, Leverage & Billable Hours (a Review of Patterns & Practices in 2002), an annual publication from NALP. Law firms increased entry-level hiring by 3.7% from 2000-2001 and projected a decrease of 2.2% from 2001 to 2002.

    Lateral Hiring: 2001 and 2002 — A Second Year of Decline (NALP Bulletin, March 2003) — Overall, based on aggregate hiring of 2,821 lateral attorneys in 2002, the volume of hiring decreased by 17%, with a median figure of four lateral hires in 2002. The average number hired was seven. Firms of 251-500 attorneys reported the largest decrease in aggregate hiring, about 24%.

    Entry-Level Hiring Continues to Increase in Law Firms — Lateral Hiring Surges, Continues to Outpace Entry-Level (April 5, 2002 Press Release) — The market for entry-level associates at law firms continues to grow, according to the 2001 edition of Patterns & Practices: Measures of Law Firm Hiring, Leverage & Billable Hours, an annual publication from NALP. Law firms increased entry-level hiring by 5% from 1999-2000 and projected an increase of about twice that, almost 11%, from 2000 to 2001.

    Lateral Hiring — 2000 and 2001 (NALP Bulletin, March 2002) — Overall, based on aggregate hiring of 6,224 lateral attorneys in 2001, this survey indicated that the volume of hiring decreased by almost one-quarter, with a median figure of six lateral hires in 2001. The average number hired was ten.



Print this PageEmail this Page

National Association for Law Placement, Inc.® (NALP)
1025 Connecticut Avenue
Suite 1110
Washington, DC 20036-5413
Phone: (202) 835-1001
Fax: (202) 835-1112
Email: info@nalp.org