As legal departments evolve, so do talent needs

Legal

Article

By Jamy Sullivan, JD, Executive Director, Legal Practice Group, Robert Half

Corporate legal departments have come a long way from their old reputation as the "office of no." Today, many operate as genuine strategic partners to boards and C-suites, advising on risk and shaping business strategies. Research from Robert Half shows that legal department leaders are increasingly involved earlier in business decisions around data privacy, cybersecurity and AI governance; employment and workforce planning; and contract strategy.

The talent pipeline is growing to match. Law school applications surged 22% in 2025, the highest volume in over a decade, according to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).

That's good news when you’re competing for talent. But growing the pipeline alone won’t help you with developing AI skills for legal departments or hiring legal operations professionals to bridge the gap between legal expertise and evolving technology. Here’s a closer look at those and other challenges facing legal departments in 2026.

Talent strategies legal departments need to succeed

Legal tech and AI are reshaping what corporate legal teams need
The rise of legal operations
Keeping your team engaged and ready to adapt
Looking ahead

Legal tech and AI are reshaping what corporate legal teams need

Read the Demand For Skilled Talent Report

Robert Half research shows that AI and legal tech implementation is the No. 1 priority for legal departments right now, followed by cost control, regulatory compliance and risk mitigation, legal operations, and AI governance.

That to-do list is exposing skills gaps. Eighty-four percent of legal department leaders report a skills shortage on their team, and 85% say the impact is more noticeable than it was a year ago. The top shortages are in legal operations, legal technology proficiency, and legal research and analysis. As more teams rely on platforms such as contract lifecycle management systems and AI-powered research tools, supporting roles like paralegals, all the way up to the in-house attorney level, are being evaluated for their understanding of AI tools like CoCounsel and Harvey.

Legal departments are using technology to alleviate routine tasks, improve productivity and free up legal staff to do more substantive work. But many leaders still aren’t sure what AI skills for legal departments they should be hiring for. Talent solutions firms like Robert Half can educate them on the types of candidates and skills to look for, and where to find them.

The rise of legal operations

Hiring legal operations professionals—one of the fastest growing roles in the legal field—has become a priority for many corporate legal teams because these roles sit at the intersection of legal expertise and technology. A legal ops professional might manage e-billing systems, run contract lifecycle management platforms or lead the rollout of an AI-powered research tool, while also handling compliance and process improvement.

This is part of a broader cost-control story. Over the past 2 years, 26% of legal department leaders report bringing more work in-house, while another 25% report increasing their use of alternative legal service providers (ALSPs), Robert Half research shows. The goal of these efforts is often to reduce outside counsel spend. Legal ops professionals are central to making that model work because they're the ones building workflows and choosing tools that make in-house teams more efficient.

But implementing legal operations practices is often easier said than done. Legal departments are grappling with three major team management pressures.

Top management challenges for corporate legal teams 57% of corporate legal leaders report that their teams are struggling to adopt and execute new legal operations practices, followed by a lack of sufficient legal tools and technology (53%) and burnout from increased workloads (51%). _{Source: Robert Half survey of more than 90 corporate legal leaders in the U.S.}

Taken together, these pressures are pushing legal leaders to rethink not just how the work gets done, but the skills their team needs to do it. As legal departments take on more responsibility internally and lean on technology to improve workflows, the legal ops role has become critical to team performance, managing workloads, technology and costs. That shift is forcing leaders to define the role more clearly and prioritize hybrid skill sets.

A problem is that many legal departments are still writing job descriptions for legal ops roles from scratch. Without a clear benchmark, it's easy to hire for legal knowledge and hope the tech fluency follows. A specialized recruiter who knows the legal ops market can help you identify candidates with the right mix of skills, including professionals coming from adjacent fields.

Keeping your team engaged and ready to adapt

It’s no surprise that burnout is rising, with more than half (51%) of in-house legal leaders saying their team is feeling the strain of increased workloads. As legal departments juggle heavier demands and ongoing change, one trend I’m seeing in successful, adaptable teams is a fresh focus on employee engagement and well-being. What a difference since I became a legal recruiter more than 20 years ago! It’s great to see organizations recognizing the importance of work-life balance, avoiding burnout and providing flexibility for legal professionals. This shift has not only enhanced employee well-being, but legal leaders are finding that it also improves the team’s resilience and collaboration.

The most recent Salary Guide from Robert Half backs this up with data showing retention and engagement aren’t just about compensation, although getting that right is essential, too, of course. Employees look at the complete package. When they can see you are investing in them, you’ll continue to see the return on that investment in staff who are more engaged, more available and more loyal to your organization.

Committing to employees’ career development is a great way for legal departments to show employees they are valued and connected to the department and the organization's overall success. Help them internalize how learning a new skill or pursuing a new, challenging project ties into the bigger picture of company success and motivate them to go for it.

You can also improve engagement by investing in mentorship and reverse mentorship programs. Give employees the opportunity to build relationships and learn from each other so the value they get from work isn’t just defined by their job description and day-to-day duties. This is particularly valuable for hybrid or remote employees who might otherwise feel isolated or disconnected.

Finally, demonstrate your commitment to your legal team by getting them help during busy times. Scalable talent models are an effective way to meet deadlines with pending projects, launch new initiatives, fill skills gaps, cope with an unexpected uptick in work and avoid burnout with current staff. A legal talent strategy for AI adoption that includes contract professionals gives you the flexibility to bring in specialized skills—like someone who can configure a new AI tool—without committing to a permanent headcount increase.

Looking ahead

The legal departments I see adapting fastest are the ones that treat hiring, development and technology as parts of the same conversation. The skills your team needs today—especially AI skills for legal departments and legal ops fluency—didn't appear in most job descriptions five years ago. They'll keep evolving, and your talent plans need to evolve with them.

That means keeping all lines of communication open, top to bottom. Stay close to what your people need to do their best work, and be willing to shift your approach when the market does. The legal leaders who communicate often and move quickly will have a much smoother road ahead.

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