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New research by The University of Law reveals which UK locations are best for hybrid or remote work in law
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Manchester tops the list with 46% of advertised roles offering hybrid or remote options
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Two thirds of London’s legal jobs are office based with no option for remote work
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Remote positions hold the highest density of roles outside of London
Manchester has been named the best place to find a hybrid or remote role in law, according to new research by The University of Law (ULaw).
Analysing over 1,000 job roles, ULaw’s latest research reveals trends and insights in the legal job market. Overall, more than a third (38%) of all roles analysed were for remote or hybrid positions.
Interestingly, while London naturally has the highest volume of roles available overall, it sits behind Manchester when it comes to hybrid or fully remote work options.
Considering the locations with the highest volumes of jobs, the best options for those looking for hybrid or remote roles are:
|
Location |
Percentage hybrid or remote |
|
Manchester |
46% |
|
London |
34% |
|
Birmingham |
32% |
|
Liverpool |
32% |
|
Bristol |
32% |
|
Sheffield |
31% |
|
Southampton |
31% |
|
Glasgow |
28% |
|
Edinburgh |
27% |
|
Leeds |
22% |
*Based on the highest volume of jobs per city, then highest percentage of hybrid roles per each location
Traditional legal hubs Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham all rank highly, both in terms of volume of jobs available and the percentage of those that are hybrid or remote.
Outside of London, however, remote working offers the highest density of jobs in the legal industry. Remote work with no defined “base” makes up 6% of all the jobs analysed in ULaw’s research, offering employees the flexibility to get on the legal careers ladder without the costs of big city life.
Locations with the highest density of jobs in the legal industry:
|
Location |
Number of jobs listed |
|
London |
312 |
|
Remote |
65 |
|
Manchester |
61 |
|
Leeds |
58 |
|
Birmingham |
28 |
|
Liverpool |
28 |
|
Bristol |
19 |
|
Glasgow |
18 |
|
Edinburgh |
15 |
|
Sheffield |
13 |
When it comes to talent acquisition and retention, the research suggests flexible working options are the way to go. A recent study cited 78% of remote workers report a better work life balance while more than half of employers offered remote work options in 2023[i].
John Watkins, Director of Employability at The University of Law, comments: “Businesses need to accept that remote working options are very much the norm now. There are arguments either side for home, hybrid and office-based roles of course, but there is now a wealth of research that points towards employees demanding a level of flexibility in their work, so employers need to be prepared to adapt.
“The legal industry traditionally hasn’t necessarily offered this level of flexibility, especially in the Capital, so it’s interesting to see in this research that there are so many opportunities in remote roles.
“In this profession, much like many others, remote or hybrid working comes with its own unique skillset. It’s vital that up-and-coming talent in the legal industry have the skills needed to thrive in any work environment, which is something we instil into our students on all our programmes. Similarly, employers will need to develop their management practices.
“In the coming years it will be interesting to see the migration of legal talent should remote and hybrid working continue to be so popular. We could very well see a shift away from the traditional cities and towards more regional growth.”
[i] https://standout-cv.com/remote-working-statistics-uk#key-statistics