The Rackle Legal Hiring Index | July 2026
- edobrien92
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
The London legal recruitment market continued to strengthen in June, with the Rackle Legal Hiring Index rising to 116 as firms increased hiring activity across a broad range of practice areas.
Executive Summary.
The Rackle Legal Hiring Index increased from 103 to 116 (+13 points).
100 new associate roles were advertised, up from 92 in May.
Active vacancies increased to 319, the highest level for three months.
51 firms opened new vacancies, compared with 48 in May.
Banking & Finance led the market with 16 new roles, returning to the activity levels seen earlier in the year.
What this means:
June's data suggests the recovery that began in May has continued. The increase in the Legal Hiring Index was driven by more firms opening new vacancies, a higher number of new roles coming to market and a modest rise in the overall stock of active vacancies. Importantly, recruitment growth was not confined to a single practice area, with hiring spread across 28 disciplines and more than 70 firms actively recruiting. Banking & Finance was the standout performer during the month, while Employment continued its run of consistently strong activity. Although recruitment remains below the exceptionally active levels seen earlier in the year, the overall direction of travel remains positive and suggests firms continue to invest confidently in associate hiring.
The Numbers
Metric | Current Month | Previous Month | Trend (last 3 months) |
Hiring Index | 116 | 103 | Upward |
New Roles | 100 | 92 | Upward |
Active Vacancies | 319 | 312 | Upward |
Vacancies Closed | 84 | 74 | Stable |
Firms Hiring | 71 | 68 | Stable |
Practice Areas hiring | 28 | 27 | Stable |
What's Driving the Index?
Banking & Finance: Returns to the Top of the Market
Banking & Finance was the standout practice area during June, with 16 new roles advertised across the London market.
After a quieter May, activity returned to the levels seen earlier in the year, reinforcing Banking & Finance's position as one of the most consistently active practice areas throughout 2026.
Corporate: Stable Levels of Hiring
Corporate recorded 7 new roles during June, broadly in line with recent months.
Whilst activity remains below the strong levels experienced at the start of the year, firms are continuing to recruit across corporate, M&A and private equity teams.
Corporate hiring remains an important indicator of broader transactional confidence, and current activity suggests firms continue to have confidence in medium-term deal flow.
Employment: Continues to Deliver Consistent Opportunities
Employment remained one of the market's most active practice areas with 8 new roles advertised during June.
The practice area has now delivered consistently strong recruitment activity for several consecutive months, reflecting ongoing demand for employment advice across a range of sectors and corporate transactions.
Private Client: One of the Strongest Months of the Year
Private Client was one of June's strongest performing practice areas, recording 8 new roles.
Although often a smaller recruitment market than many corporate practice areas, this represents a particularly active month and suggests continued confidence among firms investing in private wealth practices.
Real Estate: Stable but Below Earlier Levels
Real Estate recorded 4 new roles during June.
Whilst recruitment has moderated compared to the beginning of the year, firms continue to recruit selectively, reflecting a market that appears stable rather than expanding rapidly.
Overview
June's 100 new fee earner/PSL vacancies suggest the London legal recruitment market has continued to recover following the softer conditions seen in April. While hiring remains below the stronger levels recorded at the beginning of the year, firms continue to recruit across a broad spread of practice areas.
The return of a swathe of new roles in Banking & Finance is particularly encouraging for the wider transactional market, while Employment continues to demonstrate the consistency that has characterised much of 2026.
Looking ahead, attention will turn to whether firms maintain this momentum through the summer before the traditionally busier autumn recruitment period. For now, the data points to a market that is active, resilient and continuing to invest selectively in associate hiring.
If you are interested in an objective view of what is happening within your specific practice area visit www.therackle.com and contact us to see how we can help.
The Rackle Legal Hiring Index is an independent, proprietary measure designed to track changes in recruitment activity across the London private practice legal market, providing lawyers and firms with a consistent benchmark of market conditions over time.
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