Corporate lawyers in-house hunting

The great corporate lawyer drought of 2006 continues. Word reaches The Lawyer that the extreme workloads are driving more and more junior lawyers to register with recruitment consultants for in-house work.

Hays Legal in-house consultant Sam Baker says: "We're absolutely swimming in people wanting to make the move to in-house work, more so than we've ever had before."

Well, she would say that, but private practice associates are fed up. 'Work-life balance' is the in-vogue phrase, but the fact that people don't like working 24-7 is hardly a revolutionary theory. Disillusionment with partnership prospects is also a major factor driving an increasing amount of associates towards in-house careers. The exodus is only going to make the private practice drought worse.

So, are we on the verge of a crisis? Or is it all just a warped ploy by the firms to raise their charge-out rates through the roof? Get the latest news and an irreverent commentary delivered to your desktop every Wednesday by subscribing to Lawyer News Weekly.

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