How in-house legal teams are adapting their resourcing strategies

The role of the in-house legal team continues to expand. Alongside the traditional responsibilities of counsel, many teams now contribute to commercial decisions and the wider business strategy, in addition to compliance work, AI governance and risk management. That broader remit is changing the skills legal functions need and the way leaders think about resourcing.

Data from our 2026 global in-house legal market report and salary guide reflects the scale of that shift: 46.4% of survey respondents said their workload had expanded significantly over the previous 24 months, while 45.3% had not seen a corresponding increase in resources. The question for legal leaders is therefore not simply how to add capacity, but how to build the right blend of skills for immediate demands and future priorities.  

There is no single model that will suit every organisation. Permanent recruitment, interim lawyers, external counsel and technology each solve different problems, and the most effective approach often combines them. A clear legal recruitment strategy helps businesses decide which work belongs where, when specialist help is needed and where permanent talent will create lasting value. 

Data from our 2026 global in-house legal market report and salary guide survey reflects the scale of that shift: 46.4% of survey respondents said their workload had expanded significantly over the previous 24 months, while 45.3% had not seen a corresponding increase in resources. The question for legal leaders is therefore not simply how to add capacity, but how to build the right blend of skills for immediate demands and future priorities.  

There is no single model that will suit every organisation. Permanent recruitment, interim lawyers, external counsel and technology each solve different problems, and the most effective approach often combines them. A clear legal recruitment strategy helps businesses decide which work belongs where, when specialist help is needed and where permanent talent will create lasting value. 

Matching the resourcing model to the work  

Before considering resourcing options, legal leaders need a clear picture of the work coming into the team. A short-term project, a sustained increase in business demand and a specialist regulatory issue may all create pressure, but they do not necessarily require the same response. As our survey found, in-house legal teams are facing a combination of challenges with no simple solution.  

A practical review should consider: 

• Whether the demand is temporary, recurring or likely to grow 

• How closely the work depends on knowledge of the organisation and its stakeholders 

• Whether the required expertise already exists within the team 

• The commercial and operational risk of leaving the need unresolved 

• The relative cost and value of permanent, interim and external support 

This makes the decision more purposeful. It also prevents flexible support from becoming a default response to work that would be better owned within the business.  

Interim and contract support 

Hiring interim and contract lawyers can be particularly effective when a legal team has a defined, time-sensitive need. This might include covering parental leave, supporting a transformation programme, helping with a transaction or providing expertise during a period of regulatory change.   

Our survey found that 40.5% of legal leaders had used interim legal support for in-house teams during the previous 12 months. For organisations that need to move quickly, interim and contract lawyers can provide experienced support without delaying an important project or placing additional strain on the existing team.  

Contract lawyers for legal departments deliver the greatest value when the assignment has a clear purpose, timeframe and handover plan. They should be integrated into the team, given access to the right stakeholders and briefed on how their work connects to the wider business.

External counsel

External counsel remains an important part of the resourcing mix, particularly when a business needs specialist advice, support with a major matter or expertise that is not required on a permanent basis. In our survey, 37.3% of legal professionals reported greater reliance on external counsel over the previous 12 months.  

That flexibility can be valuable, but recurring work merits closer review. If the same type of instruction is repeatedly sent outside the business, bringing the capability in-house may improve continuity, strengthen commercial understanding and give the organisation greater control over costs.  

The right decision depends on the work. A complex investigation or one-off transaction may be well suited to external advisers, whereas regular commercial contracting, employment advice or regulatory support may justify permanent or interim resource. 

Technology

Technology is also changing how legal work is delivered. Of the legal leaders we surveyed, 52.5% have used AI or technology to support workloads in the last 12 months. 

The opportunity is significant, but implementation needs care. Teams must select appropriate use cases, protect confidential information, check outputs and establish clear governance. Training and oversight also require time, particularly during the early stages of adoption.  

AI and automation tools like Copilot, Claude and ChatGPT are widely used by legal teams to handle a range of processes. But with 44.1% telling us that AI and legal technology has not yet reduced the reliance on external counsel, there is clearly a way to go before technology can reliably ease pressure in the long term. Legal judgement, stakeholder management and strategic advice remain fundamentally human strengths. 

Why permanent talent still matters

Flexible support can help a legal team respond to immediate or specialist needs, but permanent talent remains central to long-term capability. Employees build knowledge of the organisation, develop trusted relationships and understand how legal advice connects with commercial priorities. 

Permanent recruitment is particularly important when demand is ongoing, when the role will influence business decisions or when the organisation needs to retain knowledge internally. It also creates opportunities to build succession plans, develop future leaders and strengthen the team’s influence across the business. 

The strongest resourcing strategies do not treat permanent, interim and external law firm support in isolation. They use each for a clear purpose, while making deliberate decisions about the expertise the organisation needs to own.

From reactive hiring to proactive planning 

Workforce planning is most useful when it happens before a vacancy or capacity gap becomes urgent. Legal leaders can start by reviewing workload trends, business plans and likely regulatory developments, then mapping those needs against the skills and capacity already available. 

For teams focused on managing legal workload without increasing headcount, that review may identify opportunities to redesign processes, move work to the right level, develop existing employees or use technology more effectively. It may also show that a permanent hire is the most sustainable option for recurring, business-critical work. 

Role design is equally important. The profiles that worked five years ago may not reflect what legal teams need today. Businesses can strengthen their approach by: 

• Broadening candidate criteria by focusing on transferable skills and long-term potential 

• Reviewing compensation and benefits packages to ensure they remain attractive 

• Creating clear career development pathways
• Investing in upskilling and internal mobility to build capability from within 

There is no single solution to the resourcing pressures facing today’s legal functions. The most effective approach is often a balanced one, combining technology, flexible resourcing and external expertise where appropriate, while continuing to invest in the permanent talent that underpins long-term success.