We’re pretty much mid-way through 2023, so it’s a good time to take a look at what’s happening in the legal sector in the South West with a round-up of a few of the trends we’ve noted so far this year. These include: A thriving legal market, despite the economic outlook at the beginning of 2023 Firms focusing on what they offer prospective and existing employees in a competitive market Changes to the legal sector in the South West Law firms adapting to meet clients’ needs A thriving legal marketWith the economic uncertainty at the beginning of 2023, many were predicting a bumpy year ahead fo ..read more

It’s simple to keep track of the latest opportunities with email alerts for legal jobs across the South West. Find out the benefits of signing up for our alerts and how to get started. Looking for a new job sometimes feels like a full time job in itself… Keeping up to date with relevant vacancies can be time-consuming and, while it’s important to act quickly when you see a suitable role, we know from speaking to our candidates it’s not always possible to check our website every day for the latest opportunities. That’s where our email job alerts come in! These deliver all the relevant roles str ..read more

As a specialist legal recruiter, we are occasionally asked about our approach to headhunting. This is a well-known recruitment tool but we think that the cons outweigh the pros. Here’s why… Let’s be honest, ask any group of people about their experiences with recruitment agencies and you’re likely to get some mixed responses. This isn’t surprising when you hear tales of candidates being put forward for unsuitable positions or pestered with phone calls by over-zealous agents. That’s not our style here at Legal Southwest. We work hard to attract the best candidates without the need for ‘dark art ..read more

The shift to remote working over the last eighteen months has made relocation a viable option for a lot more people. But are we seeing greater numbers moving to the South West – and what does this mean for the legal recruitment market here? We may be biased but who wouldn’t want to live in the South West?! This is undoubtedly a beautiful part of the country and we already know that Devon and Cornwall are popular destinations for those seeking a better work-life balance. We’ve seen a number of articles over the last year suggesting that the pandemic has prompted many people to reassess where th ..read more

As life returns to a measure of normality after months of disruption, it is business as usual for many law firms. The legal recruitment market is busier than ever but candidates are proving a little more cautious. We look at the opportunities and trends as we head into the second half of 2021. The Covid-19 rollercoaster continues to keep us all on our toes but perhaps we are getting a little more used to the ups and downs of this now?! We have certainly seen legal recruitment picking up rapidly after the third lockdown at the beginning of the year. With summer on the horizon (surely…) and rest ..read more

I was recently made redundant and my family and I decided we wanted to move from London to the South West. I initially approached one of the large recruitment companies in the area to assist me in finding a suitable role as a solicitor. The large recruitment company made me follow a laborious administrative on-boarding process (various forms to complete, authenticating/certifying qualifications etc.) during what was already a difficult and stressful time. After completing the process I was contacted about a potential job on one occasion, and then I never heard back from them again – I was extr ..read more

Recruitment is always an investment but, in these turbulent times, it is more important than ever to have a robust process in place so that you can hire confidently. As a specialist legal recruiter, Legal Southwest will help you to recruit carefully, so that you can find the right, long-term candidates for your firm. As we all adjust to the new landscape brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, businesses are looking forward, planning for continuing challenges and finding different ways of working. While many law firms put a temporary freeze on recruitment during the first lockdown in the UK ..read more

Law firms have had to adapt quickly to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, which had a knock-on effect on recruitment strategy, particularly during those first few months. After the challenges of 2020, what will the legal recruitment landscape look like in 2021?   With a new year on the horizon, it’s very much part of annual tradition to look ahead at this point, judging the trends that may impact businesses and influence strategy in the coming months. This is usually with a certain sense of assurance that has perhaps been somewhat dented by our experiences in 2020 – after all, very f ..read more

Whilst we find ourselves in strange times the majority of recruitment has been put on hold from our clients. We remain to keep our original adverts live on our website and once things return to some sort of normality we will then speak to all of our clients and see which roles are live and update from there. If you are interested in a role we have advertised on our website, Linkedin or Facebook feel free to send across your cv with your requirements i.e. locations you wish to work, area of law and type of role you are seeking and we will be in contact when recruitment starts to pick up. In the ..read more

Law graduates looking to secure a training contract are facing uncertainty, thanks to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. With competition tougher than ever, what can you do to move your job hunt forward? Law firms have been responding to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, with many putting a freeze on graduate recruitment or reducing their intake. As a result, competition for a place at those firms still recruiting is all the more fierce. It is incredibly demoralising as a graduate to have worked hard to finish your studies only to be met with such a tough job market. Wha ..read more