Today’s legal teams are navigating heavier caseloads, increasingly complex regulations, heightened compliance demands and rising expectations around digitization, data privacy and risk management. The pace and intensity of legal work require professionals who can step in quickly and contribute immediately. That’s why many organizations are expanding the number of contract legal roles on their teams and partnering with legal staffing agencies to access specialized expertise.According to Robert Half’s latest Demand for Skilled Talent report, 65% of legal leaders say they are increasing their use of contract professionals through the second half of 2025. Instead of staffing every role full time, they’re embracing a more agile model that allows them to engage experienced legal professionals on a temporary or contract basis.This flexible approach gives legal professionals opportunities to deepen their expertise, expand into new practice areas and pursue remote legal jobs alongside traditional on-site roles. If you’re new to contract legal work, it can be a powerful way to grow your skills and take on impactful assignments. Here’s what to know and how to begin.
How Contract Legal Roles Can Help Boost Your Career
Why legal contract jobs are worth exploring as you build your legal career
Whether you’re early in your legal career or a seasoned attorney, paralegal or legal specialist, contract work can help you:Develop specialized legal skills and deepen your expertise. Contract assignments expose you to new practice areas, legal systems, workflows, technologies and regulations. You might support an eDiscovery review, manage compliance updates, evaluate policies or help streamline contracts. These experiences keep your skill set sharp and adaptable in a fast-changing legal landscape.Expand your professional network. Project-based legal roles introduce you to new attorneys, corporate counsel and legal support teams. These connections can lead to future assignments—or even full-time opportunities—as you build your reputation across multiple organizations.Flexibility in where you work. Contract legal roles range from short-term to long-term and may be on-site, hybrid or remote. This flexibility gives you more freedom in finding assignments that suit your schedule and career goals.Reboot or redirect your legal career. Ifyou’re reentering the workforce, exploring new practice areas or transitioning from law firm to in-house (or vice versa), contract roles allow you to rebuild momentum without committing to a permanent position right away.
What is the average pay for legal contract jobs?
Explore job postings for legal contract rolesCompensation for contract legal roles varies based on the assignment type, practice area, level of experience required and whether the work is remote, hybrid or on-site.While the Salary Guide From Robert Half does not include pay rates specific to contract roles, you can gauge market expectations by reviewing starting salaries for full-time legal positions, including:Attorneys (by years of experience and specialization)ParalegalsLegal assistantsCompliance professionalsLegal operations rolesYou can also browse job postings on Robert Half’s website to see current hourly rates and salary ranges for contract legal roles.
How employers benefit from hiring contract legal talent
Hiring contract legal professionals gives organizations more control over how they manage surging workloads and access specialized expertise. Contract talent allows legal teams to secure proven professionals with experience in high-demand areas like contract management, compliance litigation, eDiscovery, , privacy and labor, and employment. By engaging these professionals on a project or for a set amount of time, employers can scale their teams quickly without committing to additional full-time headcount.Contract hiring also supports faster staffing for urgent projects. And because contract arrangements offer budget predictability, employers can match resources to their needs while controlling costs. For many organizations, this flexible staffing model helps maintain productivity, reduce burnout and keep legal operations running smoothly.
Tips for finding legal contract opportunities
Once you’ve decided to pursue contract legal work, here are a few tips to help you uncover the right opportunities:Start with targeted searches. Use trusted resources like Robert Half’s job listings to filter by job type, practice area, location and remote/hybrid options. These filters help you quickly identify roles aligned with your skills.Leverage your professional network. Set your LinkedIn status to #OpenToWork and indicate your interest in contract or project-based legal roles. Follow law firms, in-house legal departments and legal associations. Staying connected increases your visibility and helps you learn about new openings early.Keep your materials current. Because contract hiring often moves quickly, keep your resume and LinkedIn profile updated with practice areas, certifications, software skills (e.g., eDiscovery or document management tools) and projects with measurable outcomes.Ready to explore your next career move? See the higher-paying legal roles offering strong growth for experienced attorneys and legal leaders.
How legal staffing agencies can help you get contract legal jobs
Partnering with a legal staffing agency can shorten your timeline to finding well-matched opportunities. Robert Half’s specialized legal recruiters maintain strong relationships with law firms, corporate legal departments and growing SMBs, many of which turn to us before posting positions publicly.When you work with Robert Half to find contract legal roles, you benefit from:Personalized matching. Robert Half recruiters take time to understand your skills, experience, availability and preferred practice areas, then surface assignments that align with your goals.Faster access to opportunities. Our recruiters often hear about contract legal roles before they're posted elsewhere.Support through the hiring process. We can help you navigate interviews, paperwork and compensation discussions.If you’re targeting a full-time legal role, Robert Half can support that search as well. We work with talented professionals across a wide range of practice areas, including:Compliance directorContract managerIn-house counsel, 4-9 years’ experienceGeneral counselLawyer/attorney, 2-3 years’ experienceLawyer/attorney, 10 years’ experienceLegal operations managerLitigation and eDiscovery specialistParalegal
Upload your resumeFrom flexible contract assignments to long-term career opportunities, we support legal professionals at every stage of their journey.
