LoginA new survey has found a rising number of legal professionals are cautiously optimistic when it comes to hiring new staff this year. The survey came as the demand for legal aide may be up across the U.S. with 40,000 new laws expected to go into effect throughout 2012.
According to the new legal hiring index, 31 percent of lawyers surveyed said they expect to hire more legal personnel in the first quarter of 2012, which is an increase of 6 percent over last quarter.
The survey found that most legal firms are focused on hiring senior- and partner-level lawyers with significant books of business in high-demand practice areas, including bankruptcy and foreclosure, employment law and litigation.
Meanwhile, the county could see an increased demand for lawyers this year with the implementation of approximately 40,000 new state laws that will go into effect this year.
MSNBC reports the new laws include the new E-verify system to check the eligibility of new hires in Georgia, a plan to include gays and people with disabilities in the list of groups whose contributions must be taught in history at public schools in California, and one that requires girls seeking abortions in New Hampshire to tell their parents or a judge.