What students and lawyers need to know to succeed this year
2025 is set to be a transformative year for the legal profession. With the evolving landscape of legal education, technological advancements, and a heightened focus on diversity and inclusion (D&I), there’s a lot for legal professionals to navigate. Whether you’re a law student, or a seasoned lawyer, these pointers will give you a head start in tackling the challenges and opportunities the new year brings.
What’s ‘in’ in 2025?
1. In: the rise of legal tech literacy
The legal tech market is set to grow exponentially in 2025, making it essential for law firms and chambers to prioritise candidates who are tech-savvy. In the 2024 legal trends report, 79% of surveyed legal professionals are now using AI in some capacity in their practice. Aspiring lawyers can adapt by enrolling in courses on AI, blockchain, and automation tools that are becoming increasingly relevant in legal work.
Familiarising themselves with new platforms could give them an edge. Additionally, obtaining certifications in legal research tools like LexisNexis and Westlaw is a great way to demonstrate technical competence.
2. In: flexibility and hybrid working models
Post-pandemic changes have made hybrid working the norm with many ditching the commute and investing in their own home offices. When it comes to developing hybrid rules to satisfy employee preferences, law firms are comparable to the rest of the sector.
According to a recent poll, 83% of participants said their law firms have hybrid work schedules and rules in place. This is consistent with 81% of hybrid workers’ employers having similar policies. Flexibility is now a major selling point for both chambers and firms. Future lawyers can adapt by learning how to use tools like Slack, Trello and Microsoft Teams effectively. Another essential skill is learning to balance remote and in-office work for maximum productivity.
3. In: prioritising D&I
Diversity isn’t just a buzzword anymore—it’s a key metric for clients choosing legal representation. Today’s lawyers can adapt by participating in initiatives promoting inclusion and develop an understanding of how diversity enhances the workplace and improves client outcomes.
Schemes like The 93% Club, Able Interns, and Bridging the Bar, help to propel the change required to establish a legal profession that is representative of the society it serves.
4. In: cultivating meaningful relationships online
Digital networking is emerging as a smarter, more strategic approach to cultivating professional relationships. Lawyers and aspiring lawyers are increasingly using platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and even TikTok to foster connections and broaden their reach. Many have also developed personal brands from themselves, taking marketing into their own hands to build their clientele, outside of their firm and chambers, through dedicated websites and monthly newsletters.
However, concerns have been raised about the over-policing of the online presence of minority lawyers, with some feeling scrutinised or pressured to conform to outdated expectations of professionalism. Such practices risk alienating talented individuals who may feel they need to compromise their identities to fit into the profession. Despite these challenges, digital strategies remain an effective way for legal professionals to maintain meaningful interactions, attract new opportunities across the country, and often see better returns than attending countless in-person networking events.
5. In: the evolution of business development teams
Business development (BD) teams in law firms are poised to take on a more sophisticated and client-focused role in 2025, evolving from traditional business generation to encompass strategic relationship management. This shift acknowledges the significance of the BD and marketing teams, which saw a large growth following the pandemic.
The expanded role of BD professionals will involve managing a select group of high-value client accounts, allowing for deeper, meaningful connections. By dedicating time to understanding the nuances of each client’s unique challenges and priorities, BD teams can work collaboratively with directors and legal practitioners to develop tailored solutions that address specific needs. As the legal market becomes increasingly competitive, the ability to cultivate and sustain these nuanced relationships will be a key differentiator for forward-thinking firms.
What’s ‘out’ in 2025?
1. Out: toxic hustle culture
The glorification of early mornings-long nights, pulling all-nighters fuelled on Red Bull and junk food to meet hard deadlines is finally being challenged. The legal industry is moving away from toxic practices such as bullying juniors, poor work-life balance, and marketing sleeping pods in the office as a perk to attract potential candidates, in favour of prioritising mental health and sustainable working environments.
Aspiring lawyers should focus on advocating for themselves, especially when it comes to setting boundaries, being efficient, and championing healthier workplace cultures. Those who have been in the profession long enough should encourage a ‘speak up’ culture and signpost the new generation to support resources like the Solicitors Assistance Scheme and the mental wellbeing charity, LawCare.
2. Out: attending every networking event
The days of running yourself ragged by attending every networking event under the sun are on their way out. While in-person events can still be valuable, trying to attend them all often leads to burnout and fatigue with little return on investment. Sometimes less is more and overloading your schedule with such events leaves little room for building genuine, lasting relationships.
3. Out: relying solely on traditional legal skills
While a solid grasp of black-letter law is crucial, magic-circle giants and their clients expect lawyers to be multidisciplinary professionals. Budding lawyers should develop complementary skills like project management, client relationship building, and even basic coding, if they want to thrive in 2025.
4. Out: the 9-to-5 legal career
The rigid office structure is being replaced by flexible hours and output-focused evaluation. A recent benchmarking research found that 88% of law firms had policies in place to enable several hybrid working styles, such as: 52% of employees work more than half of the week in the office, 23% work less than half of the week in the office, and 23% have the choice of working from home. Aspiring lawyers can adapt by embracing alternative working patterns but also establishing boundaries to prevent burnout and fatigue.
5. Out: tokenism in diversity efforts
The legal sector is increasingly being scrutinised for superficial diversity initiatives, placing authenticity at the forefront of organisational priorities. The death of George Floyd in May 2020 prompted law firm leaders to speak out against racial inequity and social injustice — a trend that has extended to other pressing issues such as election interference and voting rights. Aspiring lawyers are now more discerning, able to distinguish between firms and chambers that genuinely uphold diversity, as reflected in their staff and lawyer demographics, and those merely paying lip service.
This shift in priorities has also influenced how future lawyers approach their career choices. Gone are the days when magic-circle firms with the fattest salaries automatically topped the list. Today, candidates are more intentional, seeking firms that align with their cultural and ethical values. In this evolving landscape, it is crucial for firms and chambers to embrace systemic changes and make meaningful contributions to equity-focused initiatives, to continue attracting the best talent.
Christianah Omobosola Babajide is a legal marketing expert. She can be found on LinkedIn.