Legal Associate attorneys are the most posted legal role this quarter, followed by legal assistants and paralegals. Every role on this list takes three weeks or more to fill, among the slowest of any vertical in this report. Role National postings Avg. days to fill* Demand signal What this means for your hiring Associate Attorneys 1,514 29 days Very high demand Posted by more than 700 firms. At nearly a month to fill, firms that move decisively on lateral candidates have a clear edge. Legal Assistants 1,022 29 days Very high demand Support roles are taking as long to fill as attorney roles. Strong legal assistants weigh workload and team structure as heavily as pay. Paralegals 943 25 days Very high demand Steady demand across practice areas. Advertised pay centers around $31 an hour, higher for specialty experience. Litigation Paralegals 808 21 days High demand Litigation experience commands a premium of about $5 an hour over general paralegal roles. These candidates move quickly. Litigation Attorneys 793 26 days Very high demand High litigation volume keeps demand up. Candidates with trial experience need to be moved on quickly. Source: Lightcast Q3 2026 Data Set. Unique job postings, United States, June 29 to September 26, 2026, within offices of lawyers and legal counsel and prosecution. *Median posting duration by job title. PLANNING NOTE Legal candidates weigh workload, culture, and practice focus as heavily as pay. Firms that explain the work clearly and move with purpose through interviews consistently close stronger candidates than those that treat legal hiring as a transaction.