Looking to the Future.

October 09, 2024
Simon Burton | Expert Recruiter | CB Resourcing

As an experienced recruiter in the legal information management space, I've observed client mention a growing perceived challenge in recent years: the difficulty of hiring new graduates into legal information management and law librarianship roles. This issue stems from three primary factors: 

• Inconsistent hiring at graduate level

• A declining number of students enrolling in relevant courses

• A general lack of awareness about legal librarianship as a viable career path.

Legal librarianship is a fantastic community full of kind of welcoming people. There are various industry groups who offer fantastic events and opportunities for professionals to gain leadership and other skills such as BIALL, CLIG and SLA Europe. At CB Resourcing we are always encouraging graduates to engage with these groups to meet their peers as we see it as a vital platform for their careers.
 

Lack of Awareness About Legal Librarianship as a Career Path

Perhaps an even bigger challenge is the widespread lack of awareness about legal librarianship as a career option. Many students, even those already enrolled in library and information science programs, are simply unaware of the exciting opportunities available in the legal sector.

Legal information professionals play a vital role in law firms and legal departments. They're responsible for managing vast amounts of complex information, conducting specialized research, and ensuring that legal professionals have access to the most up-to-date and relevant information. It's a dynamic field that combines traditional library science skills with cutting-edge technology and a deep understanding of the legal sector.

However, because many students aren't exposed to these career possibilities early in their academic journey, they often don't consider specializing in legal information management. This lack of awareness leads to a smaller pool of qualified candidates when it comes time to fill these crucial roles.

The Importance of Early Engagement

At CB Resourcing, we can't rely solely on job advertisements to attract top talent. Instead, we've adopted a proactive approach, engaging with students throughout their academic careers to raise awareness about the opportunities in legal information management.

I, along with my colleagues, regularly speak at universities, participate in industry specific career events with the industry bodies, and host informational sessions for students. We discuss the realities of working in legal information management, the skills required, and the exciting career paths available. This early engagement helps students understand the potential of this field and encourages them to consider it as a viable career option.

We've found that this approach not only helps us identify and nurture talent early but also contributes to the overall health of the profession by ensuring a steady influx of passionate, informed newcomers.

The Need for Industry-Wide Collaboration

While our efforts at CB Resourcing have been successful, addressing this challenge on a larger scale requires collaboration across the industry. Law firms, legal departments, library schools, and professional associations all have a role to play in promoting legal librarianship as an attractive career path. 

Current Market Challenges and Opportunities

The challenges we face in recruiting for legal information roles are further compounded by current market conditions. This year, we've seen very limited hiring in legal information at the graduate level. This inconsistency in hiring practices is an ongoing issue in our industry, creating significant bottlenecks when the market becomes busy.

One of the paradoxes we often encounter is that after a quiet period, we'll suddenly have clients seeking candidates with one year of experience - despite the fact that very few organizations were hiring graduates the previous year. This creates a challenging situation where demand outstrips the available supply of early-career professionals.

It's important to understand that hiring in business services, including legal information management, tends to follow broader market trends. When the legal sector experiences a downturn or period of uncertainty, hiring for support roles often slows down or pauses altogether. Conversely, when the market picks up, there's often a sudden surge in demand for talent. This cyclical nature of hiring creates ongoing challenges for both employers and job seekers in our field.

However, it's not all doom and gloom. New initiatives, such as apprenticeship schemes, are opening up alternative pathways into the profession. These programs may provide valuable opportunities for those unable to fund a master's degree, potentially broadening and diversifying our talent pool. As an industry, we need to embrace these new routes into the profession and work to ensure they provide high-quality training and clear progression paths.

Looking to the Future

Despite the challenges, including the current market conditions and inconsistent hiring practices, I remain optimistic about the future of legal information management. The field is evolving rapidly, with new technologies and methodologies creating exciting opportunities for innovation. As we continue to raise awareness, engage with students early in their academic careers, and explore new pathways into the profession such as apprenticeships, I believe we can attract and develop a new generation of talented professionals in this rewarding field.

It's important to note that this is an incredibly exciting time to join the legal information profession. The rapid digitalization of legal services, the increasing importance of data analytics, the growing focus on knowledge management within law firms, and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) are all creating new and dynamic career opportunities. When we speak to students about these developments and the various career paths available within legal information, their response is overwhelmingly positive.

Students are genuinely excited to learn about the diverse roles they can pursue. Whether it's becoming a research specialist in a large law firm, managing digital resources for a corporate legal department, or leveraging AI and machine learning for legal knowledge management, the possibilities are vast and engaging. Many students are surprised and enthused by the intersection of law, technology, and information science that our field offers. It’s always really rewarding talking to students about the variety of paths available.

The key to our future success lies in our ability to effectively communicate the value and excitement of legal librarianship. By showcasing the innovative nature of the work, the potential for career growth, and the significant impact legal information professionals have on the practice of law, we can inspire the next generation of talent.

As we continue these efforts, I'm confident that we can overcome the current recruitment challenges. By working together – recruiters, law firms, legal departments, and educational institutions – we can ensure a bright future for legal information management. One of the most rewarding parts of our roles that we enjoy as recruiters is helping new professionals navigate the first stages of their career and watching them develop into industry leaders over time.