Everyone a Lawyer? The Impact of AI on Our Profession

Juridisch

There was a time when legal knowledge was scarce. You needed a legal code, access to databases, experience, training and, above all, someone who knew where to look.

Today, things seem different.
You open an AI tool, type in a question and, within seconds, receive an answer that looks remarkably convincing. A contract clause? No problem. A dismissal letter? Ready in no time. A GDPR question? Smoothly answered. A shareholders’ agreement? “Of course, below is a sample.”

And that is exactly where the problem begins.
Because AI writes well. AI sounds confident. AI uses legal language. But that does not make AI a lawyer.

Working from home works. But not everything works from home.

Juridisch

Since COVID, the way we work has changed fundamentally. In many organisations, working from home used to be the exception. During the pandemic, it suddenly became the norm. Almost overnight, companies and employees proved that many roles could also be performed remotely.
Today, several years later, the impact is still significant. For many employees, working from home is no longer a temporary solution, but a fixed part of their expectations.
We see this every day in recruitment as well. At Legal Staffing Experts, the topic comes up almost by default in conversations with both candidates and employers.
Candidates ask for flexibility, remote work and autonomy. Employers, in turn, want to remain attractive in the labour market, while also preserving the connection with their employees, their team dynamics and their company culture. At the same time, we see that employers are once again placing more value on presence in the office. Both perspectives are valid.

Is €600 the new €800? Freelance rates under pressure in legal and HR

Juridisch

The freelance market in legal and HR has not come to a standstill, but it has changed. Where clients used to look mainly for quick reinforcement, they are now asking more critical questions: is the budget available? Can this be handled internally? And is this profile still worth the requested daily rate?
Many freelancers are feeling that shift first-hand.
Processes are taking longer, external support is being questioned more often and budgets are being scrutinised more closely. Companies still need expertise, but they are becoming more selective. Where speed and availability used to be key, today the focus is much more on added value.

The quiet pressure of exam season: what law students rarely say out loud

Juridisch

Exam season is rarely just about studying. I know that not only because I speak to law students regularly today, but also because I have been through it myself. I studied law too, and I still remember how conflicting that period could feel. You are trying to keep up with coursework, exams and deadlines, while at the same time carrying so much more in your head: the pressure to stay productive, the feeling that everyone else is further ahead, the guilt when a day does not go the way you had planned.

For law students especially, the bar is often set very high. Not only because of the sheer volume of material, but also because many students expect a great deal from themselves. You want to do well. You want to keep pushing. And ideally, you do not want people to notice just how heavy it can feel at times.

That is exactly why I wanted to write this blog. Because exam season is not only about studying, but also about everything you are quietly trying to carry alongside it.

Final months of law school: what to focus on now

Juridisch

The final months of law school can feel like a strange in-between phase. You are wrapping up one chapter, while at the same time starting to wonder what comes next.

What kind of legal career do I want?
Where would I fit best?
And am I supposed to have it all figured out already?

I speak to final-year law students and junior legal professionals all the time, and one thing comes up again and again: many put a lot of pressure on themselves. As if graduating means they should already have a perfectly mapped-out career plan.
It does not.

What does help is using this time to prepare for your first step in a thoughtful way.

genZ

How to keep Gen Z on board: a practical checklist for HR and legal

Juridisch

In our previous blog “From surviving to living: how generations view work differently”, we explored how fundamentally Gen Z approaches work in a different way. Less focused on security, more on quality of life, growth and purpose.

But insight alone is not enough. The key question for HR and legal is:
How do we translate this into concrete action in the workplace?

At Legal Staffing Experts, we support organisations every day that struggle with both attracting and retaining young professionals. What works is often surprisingly clear, as long as you are willing to slightly adjust your approach.

Below, we share a practical checklist: how to keep Gen Z on board.

gen x gen z

From Surviving to Living: How Generations View Work Differently

Juridisch

They are smart, digitally fluent, highly employable and at the same time a source of frustration for many employers.
Gen Z is rapidly entering the labour market and putting traditional HR and legal structures under pressure.

Their view on work, loyalty and career increasingly clashes with the expectations of previous generations.

At Legal Staffing Experts, we work daily with both employers and Gen Z professionals. What we see is not a generational problem, but a fundamental shift: from surviving to living.

Why Gen Z candidates drop out faster (and what that says about your company or hiring approach)

Juridisch

“They drop out.”
“They stop responding.”
“After one interview, we never hear from them again.”
We hear it often — from HR, partners, legal directors.
And it’s usually followed by a sigh, sometimes even frustration.
But what if we flipped the perspective for a moment?
What if Gen Z candidates dropping out says less about them…
and more about how you hire?

Why winter graduates are underestimated talent

Juridisch

Most legal employers say the same thing: they are looking for experience.
And that makes sense.
Experience means speed, autonomy and less need for intensive supervision.
In an environment of high workload, that is not a luxury, but a necessity.

At the same time, those same employers know that experience is not always readily available, and that teams cannot rely exclusively on senior profiles.

That is precisely why many organisations do hire junior talent.
Not out of convenience, but as a strategic choice aimed at long-term continuity.