Legal Hiring Remained Resilient Throughout Q2
All Firms
Compared to Q1, all law firms (across all regions) posted 7.9% fewer new jobs in Q2. However, job closures increased 9.8%, while total open positions grew 3.7%.
Even though hiring slowed from Q1, it remained well above last year. Firms posted more new jobs, closed more positions, and ended the quarter with more jobs still open than in Q2 2025.
The expected summer slowdown has yet to materialize. From May to June, new postings dipped just 1.4%, while firms closed 12.4% more jobs and total open positions increased 1.4%.
June activity also far exceeded SurePoint Legal Insights’ predictions. New job postings were 44% above forecast, job closures were 47% higher, and total open positions were 18% higher than expected.
Firms are filling positions faster, yet the number of unfilled jobs continues to rise, signaling sustained demand rather than the seasonal slowdown typically expected heading into summer.
Actuals vs Predictions:
| June 2026 Actuals | June 2026 Predictions |
| New Jobs Posted: 1,374 Jobs Closed: 1,338 Total Openings: 8,657 | New Jobs Posted: 957 Jobs Closed: 909 Total Openings: 7,353 |
Q2 2026 Across All Law Firms:
4,160 new job openings
- +19.9% compared to Q2 2025
- -7.9% compared to Q1 2026
3,866 jobs closed
- +10.9% compared to Q2 2025
- +9.8% compared to Q1 2026
8,657 total jobs open (unfilled)
- +22.8% compared to Q2 2025
- +3.7% compared to Q1 2026
U.S.-Based Am Law 200 Firms
Am Law 200 firms continued to outpace the broader market. Compared to Q1, new job postings remained nearly flat (+0.2%), but job closures increased 17.6%, and total open positions grew 8.3%.
Compared to Q2 2025, Am Law 200 firms posted 31.3% more new jobs, closed 17.7% more positions, and ended the quarter with 32.7% more jobs still open.
The same trend continued into June. From May to June, new job postings dipped 4.37%, while job closures rose 9.86%, and total unfilled positions increased 1.92%.
Q2 2026 Across U.S.-Based Am Law 200 Firms:
1,982 new job openings
- +31.3% compared to Q2 2025
- +0.2% compared to Q1 2026
1,685 jobs closed
- +17.7% compared to Q2 2025
- +17.6% compared to Q1 2026
3,986 total jobs open (unfilled)
- +32.7% compared to Q2 2025
- +8.3% compared to Q1 2026
Associate and Counsel Hiring
Firms are still hiring both early-career and experienced attorneys.
Associate hiring is still driving the market. Even after moderating from Q1, there were 7,041 open Associate positions in June 2026, which is 26% more than last year.
Demand for experienced lawyers is still rising. Total open Counsel positions increased 34% from last year, while jobs closed declined 5%, showing firms are struggling to keep pace with demand for experienced talent. This creates opportunities for senior associates seeking long-term career paths outside the traditional partnership track.
Q2 2026 Counsel Hiring Across U.S. Firms:
269 new job openings
- +20.6% compared to Q2 2025
- +13.5% compared to Q1 2026
168 jobs closed
- -5.1% compared to Q2 2025
- -12% compared to Q1 2026
700 total jobs open (unfilled)
- +33.8% compared to Q2 2025
- +16.5% compared to Q1 2026
Q2 2026 Associate Hiring Across U.S. Firms:
3,168 new job openings
- +24.6% compared to Q2 2025
- -7.7% compared to Q1 2026
2,882 jobs closed
- +12.8% compared to Q2 2025
- +13% compared to Q1 2026
7,041 total jobs open (unfilled)
- +25.6% compared to Q2 2025
- +4.2% compared to Q1 2026
AI and Transactional Specialties Drive Growth
AI-related hiring continued to surge in Q2: Compared to Q1, new job postings increased 12%, job closures rose 13.5%, and total open roles grew 22.6%.
The year over year growth was even stronger. AI postings jumped 80.6%, closures up 121%, and total unfilled jobs doubled, showing that demand continues to outpace firms’ ability to fill these roles.
Transactional specialties also remained strong. Compared to Q2 2025, new job postings increased 76.9% in Finance, 68.6% in M&A, and 53% in Private Equity.
Finance and Private Equity shifted from posting new roles to filling existing ones in Q2. Compared to Q1, new postings declined while job closures increased 15.9% in Finance and 58.2% in Private Equity.
M&A continued to expand across every measure, with new postings up 13.6%, job closures up 20.7%, and total open positions up 13.6% from Q1.
Despite fewer new postings in June, total open positions continued to rise across Finance, M&A, and Private Equity, signaling sustained demand for transactional talent.
Q2 Conclusion
Q2 shows that the legal hiring market is still in good shape.
Firms became more cautious about posting new roles after a strong first quarter, but they continued to fill roles at a faster pace while the number of unfilled jobs grew.
Strong growth among Am Law 200 firms and sustained demand for Associates, Counsel, AI, and transactional talent point to continued confidence in the legal hiring market.
Methodology Note
The analysis for U.S. firms is based on a consistent cohort of firms tracked over time through the SurePoint Legal Insights platform.
SurePoint Legal Insights’ predictions are based on a proprietary algorithm that analyzes the seasonality of employment opportunities and recent hiring trends to forecast job openings and provide insight into current and future market activity.
For a deeper look at legal job trends, hiring activity, or lateral hiring patterns across the market, learn more here.
