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THE RACKLE
Legal Hiring Index
A real-time indicator of confidence across the London legal market.
Each month we analyse the number of new roles being advertised across a consistent group of 80 leading London firms
Together these firms account for over 80% of all directly advertised roles, providing a unique view of how demand is changing across practice areas and levels.
The index tracks advertised roles from a fixed group of firms. Not every role in the market is advertsised, but by measuring a consistent sample over time, the index provides a good indicator of change in hiring demand.
Index (2025 average = 100)
Practice Area Momentum
Banking
Building
Corporate
Building
Construction
Strong
Pensions
Steady
Real Estate
Building
Market Activity
Active Roles
THE RACKLE LEGAL HIRING INDEX
August 2026
103
10%
vs previous month
Stable
299
vs previous month
vs previous month
Expanding
319
PODCAST
The Rackle Backdrop
Honest conversations about law, careers and change
A podcast exploring the decisions, pressure and turning points that shape careers after qualification.
Current Episode
Navigating the Partnership Path
In this episode Ed O'Brien is joined by legal career coach and former lawyer Paula McMullan to discuss how to assess your partnership prospects, navigate uncertainty, and make strategic career decisions with confidence.
Market intelligence built from:
80
Firms tracked monthly
80%+
Of advertised law firm roles captured
6,000+
Historical legal roles analysed
30+
Practice areas monitored
350+
Law firms in the Knowledge Bank
Linkedin Partner hire Quiz - Answers
Click on read more below to see the answers to the LinkedIn H1 2026 partner hires quiz. Question 1: In the first half of 2026 a total of 238 partners hires were made by UK international or US firms in London . This compares with what number in 2025? Answer: 260 Questions 2: Of the 237 partner hires, how many of these were non partner to partner moves (ie senior associate to partner or inhouse to partner) ? Answer - 59. Question 3. 83 firms made partner hires, but there were 8 firms that together made 25% of all the hires – can you name them? Answer: Eversheds Sutherland(9 hires), Paul Hastings(10 hires) , King & Spalding (8 hires), DLA Piper (7 hires), Latham & Watkins (7 hires), Akin Gump (6 hires), Pinsent Masons (6 hires), Stephenson Harwood(6 hires). Question 4. Just over 55% of the Partner hires made were in the Corporate, Banking or Litigation practice areas. What were the next three practice areas where the most hires were made Answer: Intellectual Property (13 hires), Restructuing/Insolvency (12 hires), Real Estate (12 hires). Question 5. Below is a list of first names. Which were the most common among the partners hired: Chris (or Christopher), David, Ed (or Edmund), Gemma, James, Jeremy, Katherine, Mark, Paul, Sarah, Simon, or William? Answer - William (8 partners), Mark (8 partners), Chris (7 partners), and David (7 partners).