Public sector’s silver lining
Lawyers working in both local and central government are experiencing a busy period, and there are plenty of opportunities to be found across a variety of roles. In central government agencies, there are as many legal temporary and temp to perm positions available now as there have been all year.
The volume of work remains high and roles on offer vary from personal injury and employment to planning and public law. Many courts will remain particularly busy before the Christmas slowdown, ensuring the volume of work remains steady in the short-term.
Many lawyers in private practice are being attracted by the stability and security of working in government
In this situation, it will come as no surprise to hear that competition for roles is at an all-time high and candidates will need to fight hard to secure a position. Many lawyers in private practice are being attracted by the stability and security of working in government, and those coming from a good law firm will be welcomed. While the salaries on offer can’t compete with private practice, the quality of work and enviable work-life balance makes a move to central government highly attractive.
Local government
On the local government side, we are seeing a similar picture. The recent downturn in development work nationwide has had a positive effect on the local government legal market. Interim requirements for both property and planning workers has remained relatively unaffected as the government is still putting money into the infrastructure, and work is still going ahead as before. However, with 70% of conveyancing firms making redundancies, the volume of interim legal workers looking for the relative safety of local government has rapidly increased, and competition for roles is tough. With average locum assignments running at seven months, candidates are looking towards the public sector for temporary income until returning to the private sector once the economy, and job opportunities, return.
…there has been a noticeable increase in the number of permanent recruitment drives
Employment lawyers continue to keep busy with the spiralling equal pay claims that are facing so many local councils. While many councils still remain unaffected, there is growing concern that this issue may develop further. A number of councils see the potential for this situation to self-combust and employment lawyers are waiting with baited breath for what could be an incredibly fraught and litigious future.
With local authorities’ legal teams aware that their stock has never been higher, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of permanent recruitment drives. Local government has become an attractive place to work, and there are opportunities available for good quality private practice lawyers, keen to seek refuge in the relatively stable public sector machine. Attractive pension options, clear career progression, exposure to high-profile work, an increasing commercial focus and competitive salaries has seen interest soar.
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2 Responses to “Public sector’s silver lining”
This paints a very demeaning and inaccurate picture of the local government legal service as something for “good quality private practice lawyers” to dip into for a few months when times are hard and then scurry back to the morally questionable financial benefits of “the private sector once the economy and job opportunities return” rather than seeing local government as a career opportunity for all it offers - more law less clients - more genuine legal work less soliciting - more variety less cul-de-sacs of opportunity. But perhaps not always more security. Redundancies are felt in local government legal teams too and the down turn in the economy has a direct effect on a number of local government legal jobs.
Your article confirms the impressions I’ve been receiving over the past year. Some notes of caution, however, over viewing local government as a safe haven. We are not immune to the activities of the market, and Government pressure is holding down spending and constantly driving increased efficiency…..and the Shadow Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has said he will remove final salary pensions…..
I also think the credit crunch means our working lives will be longer and retirement much further away than it was a year ago.