At Origin Legal, I’ve been watching the legal hiring market twist, turn, and occasionally tie itself in knots for more than two decades. Having recruited through booms, busts, and pandemics, it’s fair to say I have seen just about everything, but the past five years have been particularly unpredictable.

Since 2019, the availability of key legal skill sets has changed dramatically. The pandemic, the Stamp Duty holiday, training contract deferrals, and now a backdrop of economic and political uncertainty have all played their part. Some practice areas are overflowing with available talent; others are running on fumes.

Here’s what’s really been happening and what it means if you’re hiring (or thinking about moving) in 2025 or 2026.

The Pandemic Pause and the Missing Generation

When Covid hit in 2020, firms did what most businesses did: they paused. Training contracts were delayed, lateral hiring froze, and NQs were parked for “later.” It made perfect sense at the time but it’s left a long-term gap.

That missing cohort of trainees would now be mid-level associates (3–6 PQE), and it shows. Firms across the country are competing fiercely for this experienced band, especially in corporate, private client, and litigation. Many have resorted to early promotions or paying inflated salaries to plug the gap.

It’s the recruitment equivalent of a hangover that just won’t shift.

Private Client: Steady Demand, Short Supply

Private client law has been quietly booming. The pandemic spurred will-writing and estate planning, and the UK’s ageing population has kept that momentum going. Add in intergenerational wealth transfer and cross-border tax planning, and demand for experienced private client solicitors has never really slowed.

The catch? There just aren’t enough STEP-qualified lawyers to go around. Senior practitioners are staying put, and firms can’t train juniors fast enough. So, if you’ve got a good private client lawyer on your books, hold on to them.

Residential Property: From Stamp Duty Sugar Rush to Sobering Reality

The Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief in 2020–21 created a once-in-a-generation workload spike for conveyancers. Firms were hiring anyone who could move a file from “offer accepted” to “completion.”

Then the music stopped. When the SDLT holiday ended, transaction volumes normalised and many conveyancers burned out by 18 months of chaos simply left the profession.

The result? The market has stabilised, but experienced conveyancers remain in short supply, particularly those handling complex or high-value transactions. Short-term contracts and outsourcing have filled the gaps, but long-term resilience is another matter.

Commercial Real Estate: Feast or Famine

Commercial real estate is as cyclical as it gets. One quarter it’s all about development, logistics and fund-backed deals; the next, refinancing and distressed assets.

The current picture is mixed. ESG-linked projects, logistics hubs, and life sciences developments are keeping teams busy, but firms are hiring selectively. They want proven specialists, not generalists. The experienced real estate lawyers who fit that bill are few and far between and most are already comfortable where they are.

Corporate: From Frenzy to Focus

If any area shows the market’s mood swings, it’s corporate. After the post-COVID deal frenzy of 2021, many firms overhired, only to tighten belts again in 2023 when interest rates and geopolitical tensions cooled the pipeline.

Now in 2025, the mood is cautiously optimistic. M&A and private equity work are returning, but firms are wary. They’re prioritising mid-level lawyers with immediate fee-generating potential. For that 3–6 PQE band (again), competition remains fierce.

If you’re in that group, you’re in the recruitment sweet spot…for now.

The Broader Picture: Politics, Economics, and the Confidence Gap

Let’s face it, the macro picture isn’t helping. The UK’s gearing up for an election, the US economy is wobbling, and global conflicts are still influencing markets and investor sentiment. Firms feel that uncertainty in their pipelines and when partners get nervous, recruitment slows.

The pattern is familiar: when confidence dips, firms hire less at trainee and NQ level and focus on revenue-producing mid-level fee earners. That keeps the market moving, but it also keeps the supply of future mid-level talent painfully low.

So Where Does That Leave Us?

Right now, the market’s active but uneven. Some disciplines have more work than people; others have people waiting for the work to come back. The short version:

• Private Client: Consistently busy; senior/STEP-qualified lawyers in short supply.
• Residential Property: Volume work normalised, but experienced conveyancers are still hard to find.
• Commercial Real Estate: Cyclical; specialists in high-value projects are scarce.
• Corporate: Mid-PQE lawyers with strong deal exposure remain the most sought-after.

And that training contract gap from 2020–21? It’ll keep haunting the market for a few more years yet.

Final Thoughts

The pandemic didn’t just change how lawyers work, it changed how firms build teams. We’re dealing with a smaller, more selective generation of lawyers who value flexibility and purpose as much as salary.

Firms that adapt to that reality, offering development, balance, and a genuine culture, will keep attracting talent even in uncertain times. Those who don’t will keep wondering why no one’s applying.

The talent is out there; it’s just not where (or how) it used to be.

At Origin Legal, we’ve been guiding lawyers through career moves for over 20 years. If you’d like an honest, informal conversations about your own career direction, we’d be delighted to help.