NALP, Robust Entry-level Law Firm Recruiting Activity Reflects Broader Competition for Legal Talent:
NALP today released its Perspectives on 2021 Law Student Recruiting report. Industry data indicate that 2021 was another banner year financially for law firms, the most profitable year since before the Great Recession, with the strongest growth in demand for legal services since before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. NALP’s findings show that fall 2021 recruiting activity was also strong following a year of more conservative hiring decisions early in the pandemic.
“Law firms have been scrambling for talent at both the lateral and entry levels. As a result, recruiting activity in 2021 was robust, with offer rates for summer spots reaching their highest mark since 2007,” writes NALP Executive Director James G. Leipold in the report. “The pandemic has changed some of the methodologies of the law firm recruitment process, but it has not dampened any of the competition. The OCI screening interview process is likely to remain virtual, or at least partially so, and 2L recruiting is likely to continue to happen early and fast. For 1Ls, recruiting is also likely to be robust, particularly for diversity fellowships, and with a little luck, the renewed energy around 3L recruiting will remain for some time.”
