Legal Industry Bounces Back, Gaining 2,400 Jobs In April

By Tracey Read | 2026-05-08

The legal sector is once again on a positive trajectory, gaining 2,400 jobs last month, according to seasonally adjusted data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There were 1,237,100 people working in the legal sector in April, up from 1,234,700 in March and 1,234,900 in February, revised government statistics showed. The sector includes lawyer, paralegal and other law-related professional roles.

Legal jobs were also up year-over-year by 20,800.

"Things are feeling very busy in the law firm space," Michelle Fivel, a founding partner of recruiting firm Hatch Henderson Fivel LLC, told Law360 Pulse. "Firms are seeking talent in practice areas across the board, especially in finance, real estate and M&A. In addition to looking to the lateral markets for talent, we are also seeing firms making efforts to keep the associates and partners they have."

Before the slight dip in March, the legal industry had enjoyed gains for a year and a half straight.

The news comes days after job cuts were announced at two major law firms.

On Wednesday, McDermott Will & Schulte confirmed it is shrinking headcount by "a small number of associates" less than a year after the firm was created via a combination of McDermott Will & Emery and Schulte Roth & Zabel.

On Thursday, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling said it is reducing the headcount in its business services team.

"At this point, it feels like layoffs are limited to firms that are rightsizing after organizational changes rather than a symptom of a broader industry trend," Fivel said. "I don't see any signs of the demand for talent slowing down any time soon."

Overall employment increased by 115,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3%, the BLS said. Job gains occurred in healthcare, transportation and warehousing, and retail trade, while federal government employment continued to decline.

--Additional reporting by Aebra Coe and Marialuisa Taddia. Editing by Brian Baresch.