In-House Counsel

The Surge In Demand For Contract Legal Roles (And How To Pursue One During The Impending Economic Downturn)

Interim and contract legal roles are terrific “bridge jobs” for lawyers who are in transition.

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573431As a deep economic downturn looms, the gig economy continues to surge, with legal talent also seeing higher increases in demand for contract roles. In these recent years, law firms and in-house legal departments have brought on legal consultants and contract attorneys in record numbers to assist legal teams on a limited basis with sophisticated issues involving corporate securities, intellectual property, M&A, employment, and other commercial matters.

When I graduated law school in 2003, the only contract roles available were document review projects, which consisted of tabbing and reviewing thousands of discovery documents in a large conference room. Document review projects helped pass the time as you were job searching, but they weren’t alluring resume boosters.

However, in an ever-changing legal industry and with an increase in pressing economic issues (e.g., supply chain), contract legal work is now at an all-time high, providing new and outside-the-box opportunities for lawyers seeking consulting work without the commitment of full-time employment. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way many visualize their careers — along with an increased need for flexible work schedules, flexible work options, and stronger desires for a better and more well-balanced quality of life. These contract roles also provide hands-on opportunities for meaningful work in key areas of focus and help further build upon already existing skill sets for lawyers.

In 2021, Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA Global), the world’s largest legal search firm, had 500 placements for contract attorneys and legal professionals in both law firms and corporate legal departments (up from its 400 placements in 2020), representing a record pace by comparison to the decade prior.

A recent report published by the Association of Corporate Counsel and MLA Global examined the structure of legal departments, work allocation, law firm usage, spend, and diversity. The report revealed that internal/external spend distribution made a major shift from a 50/50 split to majority internal spend this year. The report further showed that more legal departments are shifting work in-house in areas such as due diligence, labor and employment, legal research, and intellectual property.

Matthew Weaver, executive director of Interim Legal Talent MLA Global, explained that this transition “represents a major change for many lawyers that only know the pursuit of partner or general counsel, or simply up the career ladder.” Weaver’s team, MLA Interim Legal Talent (Interim), works with well-established lawyers and legal professionals who seek stimulating legal work. Projects range from three to 12 months in diverse practice areas, including corporate law, regulatory, and compliance. And, as Weaver explains, “These projects allow firms and in-house departments the ability to engage talented attorneys for project-based matters without taking on costly recruiting and employment measures. Managing headcount, recruiting and employment costs, and staff expertise is a challenge during an economic downturn. [In contrast], effectively engaging contract staff affords a law firm or legal department bandwidth elasticity and cost controls not experienced by traditional measures.”

Contract legal roles have gained increasing popularity in recent years for those who are undergoing major life or career transitions, and the COVID pandemic has taught us just how quickly crisis mode can take companies into reductions-in-force and create major shifts in operational gears or workflow. On MLA Global’s site for contract attorney roles, recent listings include interim commercial counsel, interim product counsel, interim commercial litigator, and even interim intellectual property attorney. Some of these roles offer remote opportunities while others require hybrid on-site work. The salary range is broad and between $80 to $150 for these roles, with interim general counsel, higher-end, and specialized work greatly exceeding that range in the corporate sphere.

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Important to consider, some of these contract roles can potentially offer conversion models to full-time employment. Thus, to secure these legal consulting and contracting opportunities, lawyers should perform networking outreach on LinkedIn to legal search firms like MLA and its competitors as well as legal operations and legal departments. This presents yet another reason why your resume and LinkedIn profile should always be updated before you make that outreach. If you’re seeking a specialized contract role in intellectual property matters, make sure your LinkedIn summary (which is public-facing to legal search talent such as MLA Global) explains your level of expertise and provides examples of matters you’ve handled.

In closing, interim and contract legal roles are terrific “bridge jobs” for lawyers who are in transition (whether by choice or based on company/firm downsizing). They give you an opportunity to maintain and nurture your legal skills, network with other attorneys, and build relationships while you earn compensation. With networking being a necessity for advancing job opportunities today in the digital age, contract legal roles are certainly a win-win for those unsure of where their next permanent legal opportunity might be, or who want increased flexibility. Contract legal roles provide ample opportunity for increased and enhanced networking while fulfilling immediate career needs.

Have a question about pursuing a contract legal role or how to notate a contract legal role on your resume? Feel free to connect on LinkedIn.

Wendi Weiner is an attorney, career expert, and founder of The Writing Guru, an award-winning executive resume writing services company. Wendi creates powerful career and personal brands for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for their job search and digital footprint. She also writes for major publications about alternative careers for lawyers, personal branding, LinkedIn storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. You can reach her by email at wendi@writingguru.net, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter @thewritingguru.  

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