The legal profession is growing. The number of qualified solicitors continues to rise. Yet many law firms still find it difficult to recruit lawyers with the particular experience they need.
How can both things be true? As Ireland and the UK approach 2027, that apparent contradiction reveals something important about the changing legal talent market. The challenge is not simply how many solicitors are practising. It is whether the right skills, experience and career ambitions are available in the right place at the right time.
More solicitors, but not necessarily more available talent
According to the Law Society of Ireland’s 2025 snapshot, Ireland had 12,961 practising certificate holders at the end of 2025, double the number recorded in 2000. In England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority recorded 181,481 practising solicitors in September 2026.
These are different jurisdictions with different regulatory systems, but the figures illustrate the scale of both legal professions. Neither figure tells an employer how many lawyers have specific merger control experience, can lead a complex infrastructure transaction, or are interested in changing roles. Nor does a solicitor holding a practising certificate necessarily mean that solicitor is looking for a new position.
The difficulty is borne out by Law Society research published in January 2026: 35% of surveyed leaders at mid-sized firms in England and Wales said hiring had become more challenging than in previous years. This is a finding about the survey respondents, not a claim that 35% of every UK firm has the same difficulty.
The specialist solicitor is becoming more important
Demand is not uniform across every area of practice. Work involving complex regulation, cross-border commerce and major investments can require candidates with closely defined experience. For certain roles, firms may look for capability in areas such as:
- Competition and antitrust law, including merger control and foreign investment screening
- Financial services regulation, sanctions and investigations
- Technology, data protection, cybersecurity and emerging regulation
- Construction, infrastructure, energy and projects
- Commercial real estate, funds and international transactions
- Employment disputes, workplace investigations and specialist litigation
A growing overall solicitor population does not automatically remove shortages within individual specialisms. For a firm seeking a particular level of autonomy, sector knowledge or client-facing experience, the relevant candidate pool can be far narrower than the headline figures suggest.
Does every senior associate still want partnership?
Law firms should also consider whether traditional assumptions about career progression remain persuasive. In the same 2026 Law Society study of mid-sized firms in England and Wales, 43% of respondents reported that partnership had become less desirable, while only 14% reported greater interest among senior staff.
Partnership remains a meaningful goal for many practitioners. But it is not necessarily the goal of every capable lawyer. Some value developing a technical specialism, moving in-house, securing greater autonomy or achieving a sustainable working pattern. An employer who treats partnership as the only compelling career proposition risks misunderstanding what motivates an otherwise suitable candidate.
Ireland, the UK and the return-home opportunity
Dublin and London are important markets for internationally focused legal work, but opportunities also exist across regional firms, regulated businesses and specialist teams. A solicitor practising abroad might consider returning to Ireland for personal reasons, professional development or a different quality of life. An Irish solicitor may seek UK experience for exposure to new clients or transactions.
Cross-border moves require attention to qualification, admission and practising requirements. Still, an effective search should not assume that the most suitable lawyer already lives close to the recruiting office.
A higher salary is not the whole proposition
Remuneration matters, especially when candidates assess the demands and expectations of a new position. Yet lawyers also ask whether they will work on interesting matters, be supported by experienced colleagues, have access to clients and see a credible path forward.
The Law Society’s 2026 study also identified pay as a notable retention pressure: among respondents who faced retention challenges, 67% identified better pay elsewhere as a leading reason for departures. That finding is important, but it does not mean every solicitor moves for money alone.
A salary offer may start a conversation. The quality of the work, the leadership team, flexibility and realistic prospects for growth often determine whether the opportunity is genuinely attractive.
Recruitment is more than advertising a vacancy
An advertisement makes an opening visible. A well-managed recruitment process asks a deeper question: why would a suitably experienced lawyer choose this particular opportunity?
Many promising candidates are not actively searching job boards. They may already have satisfying careers and will only engage if the work, responsibilities and longer-term proposition offer a meaningful improvement.
For employers, that means defining essential requirements, providing accurate information about the role, moving efficiently through interviews and giving candidates space to assess the team. For solicitors, it means understanding what would genuinely justify a change rather than moving for a new title alone.
What should solicitors be thinking about for 2027?
Consider what you would like your professional experience to look like two or three years from now. Are you gaining the responsibility and exposure you want? Are you building the skills that support your preferred career path? Would a different firm, location or type of organisation move you closer to those objectives?
Sometimes the best response is a conversation with your current employer. Sometimes it is a confidential assessment of opportunities elsewhere. Either way, a considered decision is more valuable than a reactive one.
What should law firms do differently?
Start by articulating the commercial need behind the appointment. Separate essential technical experience from desirable preferences. Explain the responsibility, supervision, remuneration, flexibility and prospects in concrete terms.
Be open to candidates whose experience transfers across related specialisms or markets. And recognise that good candidates are choosing an employer just as much as the employer is choosing a candidate.
The DAC Recruitment perspective
The legal profession does not have a simple numbers problem. It has an increasingly complex matching challenge.
Successful appointments depend on the intersection of experience, ambition, opportunity and expectations. As the market develops in 2027, the law firms that explain their proposition clearly—and the solicitors who understand their own priorities—will be better positioned to make decisions that last.
DAC Recruitment focuses on confidential specialist legal recruitment. Whether you are a solicitor considering your next move or a law firm seeking to strengthen its team, explore our legal vacancies, learn about our recruitment services or contact us for a confidential discussion.