Transitioning to Legal
If you’re a management professional, making the transition to the legal sector may not be something you’ve considered. After all, most people would assume that law firms need lawyers and that’s about it - and they’d be wrong. A vast array of factors means that the legal market is undergoing its most profound change for decades, and the increasing presence of non-lawyers as key assets to manage and accelerate this change is a significant part of the evolution.
HR, finance, business development, knowledge management, general management and more are now key areas in which the country’s most progressive law firms are investing in new talent and new sector experience. This list is by no means exhaustive; roles continue to evolve as law firms adapt to new market conditions and embrace the potential of strong management structures and innovative commercial strategies.
The myth is that because we are legal specialists, we only consider candidates who have worked within the sector. Currently, almost half of all our law firm management placements are made with candidates from outside the legal sector, with no legal experience. Firms have no choice but to become more commercial in the way they manage their firms, and sourcing objective skills from more commercially mature sectors is often the best way to achieve this. People with the prerequisite skills are in short supply, so thinking more broadly in terms of background is now a necessity. For the right individuals, the opportunities are significant - and the benefits speak for themselves. High quality working environments, talented people, intellectual challenge and stretch, good salaries and benefits, coupled with the excitement and challenge of a rapidly changing sector are all core aspects of this dynamic and unique sector, and with our expert experience in the field, we can help you assess accurately if this might be the area for you.
