June 3
Utilising Legal Talent: How can law firm resourcing be more effective?
Industry Insights
Mary Bonsor
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The legal industry is under pressure.
High workloads, changing expectations, and outdated structures are pushing lawyers at every level to rethink what a legal career should look like. But how well are firms adapting? What’s really going wrong with how talent is being deployed, and what can be done about it?
Our latest report explores those questions head-on. Developed in partnership with The Lawyer and based on in-depth research with over 90 legal professionals across top UK firms, the Utilising Legal Talent report reveals how traditional resourcing models are falling short, and what forward-thinking firms are doing differently.
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What is included in the report?
- Data-driven insights from over 90 lawyers across the UK’s leading law firms.
- Why 83% of lawyers take junior work to meet utilisation targets.
- The mid-level crunch: burnout, bottlenecks, and broken career paths.
- Is the partner track still relevant? Only 35.7% say yes.
- Why nearly 60% of lawyers feel underutilised — and what that really means.
- Practical strategies to fix resourcing while boosting retention and inclusion.
- A roadmap to more flexible, profitable, and future-ready legal teams.
“This report is a wake-up call. Law firms are risking long-term retention, diversity, and profitability by clinging to outdated structures. The evidence shows a clear need for smarter, more flexible resourcing strategies that align with how lawyers actually want to work.”