The State of the e-Discovery and Data Privacy Job Market: Pre- and Post-COVID-19, Part 1

For many mid-market and middle management-level professionals and below, patience may be their greatest asset as the job market marinates and moves toward a bell curve of growth in the fourth quarter of this year. But, for seasoned professionals with depth of experience in their area of expertise, now is the time for them to consider a strategic move to an organization aligned with their professional goals and cultural values. This deep dive into the specific cause-and-effect paradigms impacting the data privacy and e-discovery verticals illustrates broader trends in the overall legal technology job market while simultaneously giving professionals in (or eager to be in) those disciplines a clear roadmap of where the legal technology, data privacy, and ESI job market was, is today, and where it will be in the future.

The Great Pause

The best word to describe the end of March through the end of May is quite simply, stasis. For the most part, hiring managers from every vertical in every discipline within the legal technology ecosystem had new headcount approvals frozen. Offers that were extended and not yet accepted were often rescinded or placed on hold. On occasion, offers that were accepted were later rescinded. Many people in legal technology lost their jobs. Many are still looking for jobs. Neither the ESI nor privacy job markets are hiring at the pace they were in 2019. Q2 2020 could be considered "The Great Pause" for hiring in legal technology — if not for June's trends.