Some 32 per cent of 1,486 applications by lawyers on the Reed and Total Jobs sites were for jobs without a legal role, according to the consultants who conducted an analysis. A similar piece of research carried out in 2007 showed that 24 per cent were seeking non-legal posts.

Millennials crisis

The biggest alternative option is banking, insurance and finance (13 per cent), followed by IT/ internet business (7 per cent). Martin Underwood, founder of Life Productions, described the current situation as a 'talent retention crisis for Big Law [that] is getting even worse as the industry deals with millennials, a generation of professionals who demand work-life balance and a job that is aligned to their values'. Source: Legal Cheek