The election result will inevitably have an effect on the mood of recruiters – most of the time as an industry we are very susceptible to world incidents 9/11, 7/7, the Gulf Wars etc.. – as law firms and in house departments tend to have other things to think about..
April 2010 has been a very good month, mainly thanks to the Legal Services Commission and the CDS 12 deadlines we have just been through. There is a shortage of solicitors now for a range of specialist roles – family panel members, children law solicitors, duty solicitors and higher court advocates – and we are getting law firms, charities and NGOs all requesting children panel members in particular (domestic violence module holders appear to be in great demand).
In April we had 42 vacancies posted for a whole range of different areas including Conveyancing, Commercial Property, Wills & Probate, Crime (lots), Family (lots), Industrial Disease, Personal Injury, Welfare Benefits, Employment, In House, Corporate Finance, Offshore, Child Care and Civil Litigation.
Commercial is still running fairly slowly, once you take out the larger firms generic lists, and most firms seem to be avoiding too much recruitment, but the high street is busy, and will remain so, particularly with the locum season almost upon us.
The market has definitely turned, vacancies are materialising and candidates are starting to be tied up again when we send out updates.
If you are thinking of recruiting and hoping to get a bargain due to the number of redundant solicitors still looking, this is now getting considerably harder as desirable candidates are working again, and the market left is getting increasingly B List rather than A List. A number of firms have found this and have had to revise offers upwards to attract candidates into their departments.
The new tax year has kick started the next round of recruitment, and we expect to be very busy now for the next 8 weeks until July 2010 when everything will slow down again.
Recent vacancies in – Commercial Property Solicitor – Cheshire, Crime Solicitor – St Albans, Children Panel Member – Middlesex, Employment – Wiltshire, Welfare Benefits & Debt – West Midlands, Family – Plymouth, Insolvency Lawyer – London, Personal Injury – Stockport.