The 2024 NLJ 500: Headcount Growth Returns to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Attorney headcounts at the 500 largest law firms in the United States continued to grow in 2023, though growth rates subsided to pre-pandemic levels after accelerating in 2022. 

As some firms grew at slower rates in light of repressed demand on the transactional side, others added to their benches to meet clients’ litigation needs. 

Some firm leaders and legal observers anticipate headcount growth to stabilize in 2024, potentially hitting similar growth rates as those seen in 2023 in what could be the post-pandemic normalcy, while transactional activity slowly picks up and the pipeline for disputes work remains active. 

In 2023, the majority of the largest law firms saw modest headcount growth, though there were a few exceptions, leading to several ranking adjustments at the top of the NLJ 500. However, not all headcount swings translated on the leaderboard.

Are you interested in learning more about how headcount growth has returned to pre-pandemic levels? Read more in this law.com article.