The legal industry is rapidly changing. The use of digital technologies like generative AI, predictive analytics, and blockchain are transforming legal operations, driving new efficiencies, and necessitating new skills. The nature of work is also being transformed through the emergence of new work ecosystems that reflect global economies, flexible working and sustainability.
As the industry navigates these shifts including economic pressures, there's an unmistakable move towards more agile resourcing strategies. For a decade, Simmons Adaptive has been at the forefront of these developments, placing interim legal professionals in a variety of roles that cater to the increased demand for resource flexibility.
In celebration of our ten-year anniversary, we are considering the future of work. If the last ten years have brought such significant changes to the legal industry, what will the next decade look like? How will new technologies define what we mean by legal talent? How will the make-up of teams continue to evolve? Where and how will people want to work? And what effects will a multigenerational workforce have on the management of talent?
We are pleased to share our insights into the people trends that are shaping the future of the legal industry. These are based on our recent Simmons Next Gen Legal Solutions Index Insights, our ongoing conversations with clients, as well as research by others such as the World Economic Forum.
1. The demand for interim lawyers and legal professionals will continue, with legal teams becoming more interdisciplinary in focus.
Reflecting the desire for flexibility and the need to access a global talent pool, there is a growing reliance on interim resourcing. Interim resourcing allows organisations to scale their legal teams up or down as needed, access specialised skills for specific projects, and even access a more diverse talent pool.
According to the results of our Next Gen Legal Solutions Index Insights, 7 out of 10 general counsels now view flexible resourcing as a cornerstone of their legal operations. Moreover, when asked to identify the most significant change to their legal teams over the last two years, more than 50% of the 500 general counsel surveyed said it was reduced legal teams with a greater dependence of outsourcing and flexible working arrangements.
We have also seen an increased demand for legal operational roles that reflects the continuing diversification of legal teams. In our survey, over 30% of general counsel responded that their teams had changed through the addition of legal operations (such as legal project managers) and procurement roles. We see this continuing and have been developing our talent pool in anticipation for what we see as the future of legal teams.
2. The adoption of new digital technologies will redefine legal talent.
The use of new digital technologies is revolutionising the legal industry. Legal teams are increasingly using artificial intelligence for document review, predictive analytics for legal outcomes, and blockchain for smart contracts. These technologies enhance efficiency, reduce the need for repetitive tasks, and allow lawyers to focus on more complex and strategic work.
In the last 12 months, senior legal counsels have been speaking to us about the impact of these recent technologies and the training that will be needed to support their use.
This trend reflects what we see as the changing definition of legal talent and the skills that will be important in the future. The World Economic Forum in its Future of Jobs Report 2023 predicted that roles for data analysts and scientists, big data specialists, AI machine learning specialists and cybersecurity professionals will grow by 30% over the next four years. With a focus on the legal sector, LexisNexis in Lawyers cross into the new era of generative AI found that 42% of in-house counsel were planning to use AI in the future, with 11% currently using it on a weekly basis. This correlates to our discussions with clients where generative AI remains in test stage, with the present focus being on governance and compliance considerations.
We are already receiving requests for interim lawyers with experience in AI as well as increased demand for data privacy roles. We anticipate further demand for lawyers with expertise in generative AI, legal tech and large language models, who can help build the in-house capabilities of legal teams.
3. Legal ecosystems will continue to evolve with a greater focus on global teams and flexible working.
Navigating the complexities of a global economy requires legal teams to be alert to the changing requirements of local laws and regulations, while being attuned to the issues relating to cross-border transactions, international disputes, and different regulatory regimes.
We are seeing the evolution of legal ecosystems beyond hybrid working in response to these challenges. Some legal teams are adopting a 'follow-the-sun' approach that provides 24-hour coverage; others are experimenting with agile global team clusters or pods that offer greater flexibility than more traditional matrix and regional-based ones.
These changes to legal operations reflect business concerns, as CEOs respond to ongoing geopolitical, economic and technological uncertainty. In its 27th Annual Global CEO Survey, PwC reported that 45% of CEOs surveyed indicated that their current business model will need to change in the next ten years for their company to remain viable.
Access to a global pool of talent through flexible resourcing will become increasingly important as legal teams continue to realign to these business needs and seek greater agility in how they deliver legal services.
4. As people work longer, there will be a greater focus on an intergenerational workplace with talent management strategies reflecting different generational priorities.
For the first time, four different generations are working side-by-side in the workplace, with each one bringing unique perspectives and expectations. Senior legal counsels are taking note of these differences on team dynamics, talent management, and attrition rates.
These observations align to recent surveys regarding values-driven culture and employment trends. The World Economic Forum recently reported that nearly 9 in 10 Gen Zers and Millennials say they would leave a job to work somewhere that better matches their values. Similarly, 70% of respondents in the PwC survey for Workforce of the future: The competing forces shaping 2030 indicated that their ideal employer is one with a 'social conscience'. These results suggest that an organization's commitment to social responsibility and environmental sustainability will become increasingly important in attracting and retaining talent.
Moreover, workplace flexibility will continue to influence people's career decisions. In March this year, People Management shared its findings that more than two-thirds of employees said they would search for a new job if they were told to spend more time in the office. This desire for continued flexibility such as hybrid working reflects differing generational priorities such as lifestyle and caring for others when deciding on an employer.
We see generational diversity as key to the success of any organisation, of which flexibility will become increasingly important for talent retention.
5. Health and wellbeing will remain a priority.
Post-pandemic, the emphasis on health and well-being remains a focus. We are hearing of clients offering wellbeing boxes, access to relaxation apps, individual coaching as well as hosting seminars on topics such as balancing caring needs with a professional life and maintaining well-being through change. This emphasis on health and wellbeing will continue to influence workplace talent strategies and the incentives offered to retain talent.
The future of work is all about people, with legal teams at the intersection of technology, generational changes, and global challenges. Flexibility will be key, with the use of interim legal professionals offering an agile solution to some of these changes.
Simmons Adaptive
Adaptive works with clients across the UK and APAC to source senior and junior legal consultants for assignments covering parental leave, internal secondments, or illness cover, as well as interim senior positions and dedicated project implementation roles.
Our experienced recruitment professionals work closely with legal teams to source the right consultants, working with them to successfully scope each role and the skills and experience needed. For each assignment, a Simmons sponsor partner and client team fully support our consultants. We are the only firm to provide this level of mentoring and technical support in the current flexible resourcing market.
With offices in London, Singapore and Hong Kong, the team can speak to you about what they are seeing across the legal resourcing market including regional differences in skill demand and share with you their insights into the future of work for legal teams.
For further information, please contact sarah.james@simmons-simmons.com
