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Large law firms significantly increased their numbers of diverse attorneys between 2019 and 2021, according to new data from Firm Prospects, which provides analysis of trends in the lateral hiring market.

The pace of law firm lateral recruitment picked up this year compared with the start of last year but fell short from the prior quarter as the hiring frenzy for associate talent begins to cool off, according to numbers provided by legal data company Firm Prospects LLC.

Law firms are increasingly dangling the prospect of partnership status to lure needed associates from other law firms.

Partnership ahead!

As law firms scramble to fill talent gaps in busy practice areas, they're increasingly open to offering the title of partner to senior associates joining their firm from a competitor, with a 35% increase in such hires over the last two years, according to data from Firm Prospects, an organization that tracks the lateral hiring market.

The hot market for associates is cooling slightly, as associates appear more reluctant to make lateral moves and law firms are becoming more cautious in hiring, recruiters told Law.com.

In the wake of the pandemic, law firm websites have become a more critical part of the legal buyer’s journey. Lockdowns may be over, but remote work and virtual events have changed our...

While name recognition still benefits BigLaw in the recruiting process, even the most revered of those firms may have to work a little harder to appear lucrative to junior lawyers, and even more so to partners, who are placing a greater emphasis on diversity, mental health and work-life balance.

Insider spoke to current and former Kirkland lawyers about what it's like to work at the firm, and how its business model leads to turnover.