Bryan Driscoll, writing for Best Law Firms, lays out a legal job market that is pulling apart. On Big Law hiring, lateral partner moves at large firms reached a six-year high in early 2026. Meanwhile, firms of more than 500 lawyers hired about 540 fewer entry-level associates from the class of 2025, a 7.5% drop and the first decline in more than a decade. Firms expect AI to absorb first-year work, though Driscoll notes billable hours rose 4.2% in the first half of 2026.
Why should in-house lawyers care? Law firms have always trained your future hires on someone else’s dime. Fewer juniors now means a thinner bench of mid-levels later, and legal departments will compete for them. If you already have real experience, that scarcity is leverage. The sector itself is healthy: legal jobs just hit a record 1.25 million. Our guide on how to get an in-house counsel job covers timing your move, and our in-house counsel jobs page shows who is hiring now.
As Driscoll puts it: “As a result, the legal job market is splitting in two. Firms are paying for experienced talent while hiring fewer entry-level lawyers to train.”
Read: Big Law’s Partner Hiring Hit a Six-Year High. First-Year Classes Are Shrinking. at Best Law Firms