The 10 Biggest Challenges Facing the Legal Profession

It has been reported new data from the two tech giants (LinkedIn and Microsoft) who surveyed 31,000 individuals across 31 countries, found that the percentage of people (46%) who want to quit their jobs in the year ahead is actually higher than in 2021 (40%) when it was dubbed ‘The Great Resignation’. The data also found 59% of us contemplate a job move, seeking they feel stuck in their job due to the cost of living having spiralled, the threat of layoffs (thanks to AI and overhiring) looms, and flexible working arrangements. With many companies issuing return-to-office obligations but more employees looking for flexible working arrangement there is an increasing number of headlines about how many employers are struggling to attract and retain talent. 
 
According to recent findings, over half of law firms and in-house teams are struggling to recruit, with 57% of law firms reporting difficulties in hiring staff. In-house teams are also feeling the pressure, with 56% indicating challenges in recruitment. The competition for talent is intensifying, with law firms finding it particularly hard to attract candidates with the right experience and skills. This ongoing recruitment struggle underscores the urgent need for firms to adapt their strategies in order to compete for top talent in a competitive job market. 

How can technology help law firms recruit and retain talent?  

A poor recruitment process can cause firms to lose good candidates before a job offer is made. A powerful HR system can help with the recruitment process, as well as onboarding and payroll. 
 
To attract and retain staff law firms need to invest in reliable and secure legal case and practice management software. In today’s competitive job marketing remote work flexibility has become essential—nearly half (47%) of workers consider whether an organisation allows remote work as a key factor in choosing a job. Additionally, over half (58%) of employees would switch to a competitor if the new company offered a better culture, underscoring the importance of fostering a positive work environment. Ensuring your firm can offer flexibility, along with the right technology, is vital to attracting and retaining skilled professionals. 

Related content: How tech can empower your people and transform your firm. 

So you’ve built your loyal and talented workforce and you are doing all you can to look after their psychological safety and overall wellbeing in the legal workplace. How does the law firm manage the competency of its people?  

This we believe is another significant challenge for law firms. A recent report by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) underscores the importance of ongoing professional development. The "Annual Assessment of Continuing Competence 2024" highlights good practices in how solicitors maintain their competence and identifies challenges some solicitors face in doing this.  
 
Our Regulatory Director, Brian Rogers, provides monthly compliance updates to keep law firms informed about critical issues, including developments in competency. Drawing on insights from industry experts, he has emphasised that lawyers must remain regulated to ensure their competence throughout their careers—not just at the point of entry. This involves identifying risks early and implementing tools to take immediate action where standards fall short. 

The ongoing training of staff, as well as the onboarding and development of new team members, is now under the spotlight. Remote working has transformed traditional methods of upskilling, presenting challenges that are hard to ignore. Junior lawyers, in particular, have missed out on opportunities to shadow and learn from senior colleagues—something that was once taken for granted. Scheduled video calls have replaced spontaneous interactions, such as chance conversations by the coffee machine or on the stairs. There is less organic learning between co-workers, which has created a culture shock in how training happens in the legal profession. 

This shift hasn’t been an easy adjustment for an already stretched profession, particularly as hybrid working looks set to stay. When hybrid training is inadequate, staff are often left struggling with outdated materials or online resources that don’t provide the interaction and input they need. The result? Many will look elsewhere for opportunities. 

How can technology help with lawyer competency? 

A global report by Upwork on our future workforce suggests that we can expect 73% of all departments to have remote workers by 2028. The hybrid work model is preferred by 83% of employees worldwide. So developing hybrid-friendly training for their staff is one challenge law firms certainly cannot afford to ignore. There are lots of tip lists online offering a number of quick wins for improving training in our new world. Tips such as microlearning, which is the new term for learning that is presented in bite-sized chunks. Also interactivity, flexibility and asking employees for feedback are all steps in the right direction. 

It’s clearly not going to be effective to send remote workers a 500-page tree-of-a-manual and expect them to read, digest and understand it. The heart of law firm training needs a re-think if we are going to reduce the negative impact of the challenges facing trainee solicitors. A good learning and compliance management system designed specifically for law firms should be a key consideration for all practice leaders. Such systems ensure that training records are maintained effectively—an area that has also drawn attention recently. 

At the SRA’s Compliance Conference, it clarified that while maintaining training records isn’t mandatory for solicitors, doing so demonstrates a commitment to competency. This aligns with the principle of “If it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen.” While not a formal requirement, failing to document training could leave firms vulnerable when regulators ask for evidence. Compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), for instance, requires firms and Sole Practitioners to maintain robust training records. Having clear and up to date records of all e-learning, courses, webinars and internal training completed —should therefore be considered a best practice for all law firms. 

Related content: The importance of regular compliance training for law firms 

There are seven statistics all law firm leaders should acknowledge when thinking about how the business can meet their clients’ expectations in our ever-increasing online world. According to leading ecommerce drop-shipping specialist Oberlo - this is how the global situation looks: 

The way we all shop and interact with the world has made a revolutionary shift to online during the last decade. People shop online, book doctor and dentist appointments online, we book and pay our cab drivers using apps, we liaise with our insurance companies, our gyms and even our kids’ school teachers online – so law firms must be geared up to do the same. And many law firms are. Those that work with good legal software suppliers have all the tools they need to interact with clients and prospective clients online. 

How can technology help law firms meet clients’ digital expectations? 

The future of  legal practice management  and  case management software systems today offer a range of functionality that enables law firms to embrace the online world. There are mobile apps for lawyers on the move, there are client portals so that law firm clients can check in 24/7 on the progress of their cases without needing to speak to their solicitor and good case management systems provide SMS texting features. 
 
Law firms are learning from consumer-centric sectors, especially those wishing to accelerate their firm’s digital transformation. And with the rise of AI, the expectations of today’s digitally minded clients are only becoming more ‘on demand.’ Explore our article on how law firms are using AI to enhance client services.  

Navigating the terrain of hybrid working continues to be a critical challenge for law firms. The shift to hybrid models has fundamentally reshaped how legal professionals operate, presenting both opportunities and hurdles along the way. 

What began as an temporary response to the pandemic has morphed into a permanent fixture in many firms' strategies. However, the transition to hybrid working isn't a walk in the park. While some firms seamlessly adapted to remote work, others grappled with ensuring secure access and maintaining productivity in a dispersed environment. 

Cyber security looms large as a primary concern. With remote work on the rise, law firms have emerged as prime targets for cyber threats. Safeguarding remote connections and data transmission remains a top priority for law firm leaders. 

Moreover, the hybrid model brings forth fresh challenges concerning employee engagement, collaboration, and communication. As professionals toggle between remote and in-office work, fostering cohesion and connection within teams becomes paramount. 

For those returning to physical workplaces, the landscape may look different, with empty offices and virtual meetings replacing face-to-face interactions. The lines between work and personal life blur further, with some feeling the pressure to be always available. 

Thriving in a hybrid-working environment demands a rethink of work culture, communication, and collaboration. Investing in legal technology that bolsters remote collaboration, secures access to resources, and facilitates seamless communication is imperative. Additionally, nurturing a culture of flexibility, trust, and work-life balance can mitigate the challenges of hybrid work setups. 

As law firms continue to adapt to the evolving work landscape, mastering the intricacies of hybrid working is key to sustained success. By embracing technology, cultivating a supportive work environment, and prioritizing employee well-being, law firms can chart a course to thrive in this new era of work. 

There is no escaping the challenges that homeworking brings to law firms. The need for flexible working as we transform to the world of hybrid working represents epic change for traditional office-based sectors and the working landscape has altered forever, beyond recognition. There is no doubt it will continue to be the subject of analysis and debate for a long time yet. 

What can technology do to help law firms thrive in a hybrid-working world? 

There is a fine-line between big-brother style monitoring and keeping a caring eye on your people. The productivity analytics that come with cloud-based systems can really help law firm leaders watch over their workforce, making sure their teams are not overdoing it, without micro-managing and adding more pressure. 

From a technology perspective, it is time for law firms to turn to their trusted legal software suppliers. A good legal IT partner will be prepared to share with you the lessons law firms are learning about making the most, technology-wise, of the legal hybrid working world. Software-as-a-service and cloud hosting for all your mission-critical applications are obvious advantage for the hybrid times ahead. 

Cybercrime is rife. There’s no denying it. And it is well documented that law firms are prime targets. Underground cybercrime ecosystems continue to grow in sophistication and gather momentum. Law firms are taking it seriously, quite rightly. This is one of the most significant challenges that is probably most likely to be turning the hair of law firm leaders grey right now. 

There is a lot law firm owners and leaders need to know about cyber security. It is worthwhile reading up on the learned experiences of other legal Practices that have made mistakes. We have gathered information on this, as well as a number of top cyber security tips for firms with homeworkers, steps to a healthy no-blame culture and the questions law firms should ask prospective new tech suppliers before entering into a contract with them. It’s all in our blog: Everything a law firm needs to know about cyber security . 
 
Access Legal regularly hosts webinars and shares resources on important matters for law firms regarding cybersecurity.  

What can technology do to help law firms keep cybercriminals at bay? 

An IT partner for any aspect of your firm's business system must be ISO 27001 certified and have Cyber Essentials before you should even consider them. For more information on the key cyber and data questions to ask an IT provider take a read of our blog: Choosing a Legal Cloud Managed Service Provider: Key Considerations and Best Practices.  
 
A good learning management system designed especially for law firms, that is geared up to present training of this incredibly dry area, in digestible, bite-sized chunks is a must. As is a reliable tool for logging all your staff training, so that the firm has a record of exactly where it is with cyber security training for its people, and their quiz scores. 

The solicitors’ market has been described as “…currently the hardest profession for Professional Indemnity Insurers…” and it’s all about the profession’s risk profile, particularly in the area of conveyancing. The underwriter’s view of risk for future claims is taking a number of factors into consideration.

The Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday which kept conveyancers mega-busy for 12 months from July 2020, has meant high transaction volumes have led to higher numbers of errors that could result in PII claims. PII proposal forms are full of pandemic-related questions as a result of the kind of claims insurers have seen.

Also, although the legal profession has faired better than expected during the pandemic, financial stability with regard to loans, deferred VAT etc. are being taken into account at renewal time. 

How can technology help a law firm appease PII providers at renewal time? 

By making best use of the law firm software your Practice uses your firm should be better positioned to apply for quality standards such as CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) and the Law society’s lexcel standard. 

Also having everyone trained up and all their training logged, along your compliance policies and decision-making will give insurers peace of mind when it comes to renewals. For more insights into how compliance and technology can help with the PII renewal process, explore our blog: Enhancing the Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) Renewal Process with a compliance-driven approach. 

There are two sides to every coin. And with law firm data – on one side the profession has  more rich data available to them than ever before, offering insights and answers to most challenges. However, on the other side of the coin, we are a world suffering from information overload across all sectors. Therefore, all the answers the legal industry needs can become buried and completely lost for those firms who are not in touch with their data. 
 
Back in 1987, in his book, “The Future of Law” Professor Richard Susskind MBE spotted this predicament evolving then when he spoke of the profession moving towards a paradox of the information age. 

He said, “…it should surely mean we can gain access to all but only the information we need, but the reality seems to be that we are less informed and focused than in the past.” He spoke of “information overload” even back then.

More than three decades the so-called paradox he spoke of is evident and it is hugely compounded by the digital age as it continues to build momentum. 

The Access Legal blog post, Taking law firm business intelligence to the next level looks at the age-old principles of the legal sector was built upon, and how for generations the profession has led the way in ‘making data pay’. However, it highlights that there is more to be done in terms of using law firm data to get closer to clients and prospective clients to bolster understanding, in order to grow legal Practices. 

How can technology help law firms work their data? 

Good Practice: connect your data and differentiate your law firm is a good read for any law firm wishing to make more of their data. 

A good legal practice management system should come with a range of standard reports you will find useful and a suite of reporting tools so that your people can slide and dice your data themselves. 

Access Evo is new technology on the horizon that we are working very closely with law firms to develop. This is about providing firms of solicitors with a space for focus, simplicity and confidence – where they can bring together all of their people, make sense of all of their data and access all of their multiple systems, from one place with a single secure sign-on. 

Read our follow-up article: What are the 5 biggest challenges facing the legal profession in 2025?