The BARBRI barometer — navigating talent challenges and opportunities for SME law firms in 2024 and beyond

The new BARBRI Barometer, surveying 127 SME law firms, paints a stark picture of a sector struggling to attract and retain skilled staff, with nearly half (48%) of firms reporting difficulties keeping talent on board.

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The report highlights a real disconnect between client needs and firm’s recruitment strategies. While client relationship management and communication skills rank highest in importance, attracting diverse talent appears to be an afterthought. Only 5% of firms consider a supportive and inclusive workforce a priority when attracting new candidates. This is despite recent YouGov research finding that diversity and inclusion is a key factor for two-thirds (66%) of job seekers, rising to a staggering 78% for Gen Z.

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Contact:
Henna Zafar
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However, a glimmer of hope emerges with the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). The research reveals that 73% of SMEs have embraced the SQE, a new qualification pathway opening doors for non-law graduates, paralegals, and apprentices. This wider talent pool offers firms a chance to address the skills gap and build more diverse teams.

Download the BARBRI Barometer (SME law firms) report now

Train your own, grow your firm: the business case for the SQE in SME law firms Case Study

Henna Zafar | Business development manager, BARBRI | 14 October 2026
For many of the SME law firms we work with, this autumn is the first time they will support trainees through the SQE. The concerns we hear are consistent — firms don’t feel they know enough about the SQE, most don’t have a learning and development team and partners are already stretched. Those concerns are […]

IA before AI: why information architecture gates AI success

iManage | | 29 October 2026
Most AI failures this year are governance failures. A pilot returns a confident wrong answer, a fabricated citation, or a clause drafted under the wrong jurisdiction, and the organisation blames the tool. A model only works within the information architecture it’s given, and if that architecture is missing clear ownership, jurisdiction, or versioning, no model […]