After a period of post- COVID caution, the legal talent market is finally starting to move again – but slowly and selectively. Realm’s Legal Talent Report 2025: The Return of the Selective Jobseeker reveals a profession in transition and a workforce that’s more thoughtful than ever about its next step.
Our data shows that 13% of lawyers are actively looking for a new role, while 36% are passively open to the right opportunity. That’s the highest level of potential movement we’ve seen since before the pandemic. However, this doesn’t signal a return to the frenetic hiring market of 2021-22. Instead, it points to a more measured recovery – one in which lawyers are open to change, but only if the offer truly aligns with what they value most.
Cautious confidence
We’re calling this a hesitant recovery. Confidence is creeping back into the market, but it’s tempered by economic uncertainty, inflation, and a continued focus on stability. Lawyers aren’t moving for the sake of it – they’re looking for the right cultural fit, the right flexibility, and the right opportunities for progression.
This mindset means firms can no longer rely on “business as usual.” Competitive pay, flexible working and high-quality work are no longer standout benefits – they’re table stakes. Lawyers now expect them as a given. What’s differentiating firms instead are the subtler, human factors: how they treat people, communicate, and make lawyers feel supported.
The challenge – and opportunity – for firms
For law firm leaders, this shift should be both a wake-up call and a source of optimism. If you hired heavily between 2020 and 2022, those lawyers are now reaching the average tenure milestone and could be starting to look elsewhere. Checking in with them now – revisiting their goals and re-energising their engagement – could prevent a wave of quiet attrition.
At the same time, firms that are proactive, decisive and clear on their Employer Value Proposition (EVP) have a golden opportunity to attract lawyers who are ready for change but being selective about where they’ll move next.
The message from this year’s data is simple: the market is moving again, but on new terms. The firms that adapt – by investing in culture, engagement and transparent career progression – will be the ones who benefit most.
Download the Legal Talent Report 2025 to explore the data in full and find out how to position your firm for success in a selective market.
