Staffwell National: We spoke to 207 litigators across 4 states. 197 were employed.

In March, we spoke to 207 litigators across California, Texas, Florida, and New York while working searches in PI, Insurance Defense and L&E.

The first thing that stood out:

197 of the 207 were employed.

They were not actively job seeking. Many were still open to a move for the right role.

That matters.
It matters because it means a meaningful part of the litigation market is not applying cold.

They are evaluating opportunities more selectively.

1. Compensation mattered. It was rarely the whole story.

Nearly all candidates wanted compensation that better matched their experience.

But compensation was not the only driver.

• Better firm environment came up.

• Better support came up.

• More access to partners came up.

• More responsibility came up.

A stronger role often mattered as much as a bigger number.

2. Support staff and infrastructure came up repeatedly.

This was one of the clearest patterns across the conversations.

Candidates notice when attorneys are doing work that should be handled by proper support staff.

78 candidates made some version of the same point:

“I did not go to law school to spend their time handling secretary-level errands for partners.”

That line stuck with us.

It points to something broader:

Strong litigators want to litigate.

3. Work model mattered, but it was not always the deciding factor.

43 candidates were firm on hybrid or remote flexibility.

Many others were open to being in office, but not without limits.

A role can be in office and still be attractive.

A role can also lose traction quickly if the commute feels unreasonable relative to the opportunity.

4. The strongest opportunities are not always the ones paying the most.

What these conversations reinforced is that laterals are often evaluating the full role, not just base compensation.

They are asking questions like:

• Is the firm stable?

• Will I get meaningful support?

• Will I have access to partners?

• Will I keep developing?

• Will this role actually feel better than the one I already have?

That is especially important when most of the market is already employed.

The takeaway

Across 207 litigation conversations in 4 states, 197 candidates were employed, 43 were firm on hybrid or remote flexibility, and nearly all wanted compensation and role structure that better matched their experience.

Many strong litigators are open.

They are just not broadly available.

If a firm wants to attract them, it helps to sell more than compensation alone.

• The structure of the role matters.

• The support matters.

• The environment matters.

• The growth path matters.

If your firm is hiring in the next 90 days, reply with the role you are looking to fill.

You can always request talent, here.

Staffwell | Legal Recruitment
Staffwell.ca | (929) 560-0868