May 28, 2025

 Vinny Sachdeva

flexible resourcing Flexible legal staffing

In today’s legal landscape, flexibility is no longer a perk – it’s a strategic imperative. In a compelling episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Elevate expert, Val Pitt, about how flexible legal work is reshaping careers, teams, and the very structure of legal departments.

From Stopgap to Strategic Career Path

Contract roles have long been viewed as temporary or second-tier, but that perception is outdated. Today, flexible legal work is a deliberate and strategic career choice. Lawyers, especially senior professionals, are increasingly opting for portfolio careers that offer autonomy, variety, and alignment with personal values and lifestyles.

These roles allow experienced lawyers to contribute meaningfully without the rigidity of traditional full-time positions. Many are thriving in part-time secondments, project-based work, or hybrid practices that blend private consulting with in-house support. For them, flexibility isn’t a fallback—it’s a feature.

Why Legal Departments Are Embracing Flexibility

On the client side, general counsels (GCs) are under pressure to deliver more with fewer resources. Budgets are tight, hiring is cautious, and the pace of change driven by technology, regulation, and global uncertainty is relentless. Elevate Flexible Legal Resourcing offers a solution – scalable, cost-effective support that adapts to business needs.

Accompanying these trends is a steady increase in demand for contract roles, reflecting a broader shift from tolerating flexible work to actively designing for it. Legal departments are no longer just filling gaps—they’re building new types of teams that, by combining permanent staff, secondees, flexible contractors, and even fractional GCs, deliver unprecedented business value.

Technology, AI, and the Human Edge

Technology, especially AI, is transforming legal work. While AI handles routine tasks, it also highlights the irreplaceable value of human judgement and experience. Contract lawyers who can work alongside these tools are becoming indispensable. They bring adaptability, critical thinking, and deep expertise to fast-moving environments.

The successful contract lawyers are those who are proactive, communicative, and confident in their skills. They understand their value and are ready to contribute from day one. This mindset is key to thriving in a flexible legal career.

Looking Ahead: A More Human Legal Profession

The future of legal work is in flux, with a broader and human-centred view of what working in the field entails. Lawyers now have the opportunity to define success on their terms, whether that means working across sectors, aligning with personal values, or balancing career and life in new ways.

The best legal departments of the future will be those that embrace this shift, not just tolerate it. By focusing on skills over stereotypes and valuing diverse contributions, the profession can become stronger, more resilient, and more impactful.

The Elevate Model: Flexibility with Support

What sets Elevate apart is its holistic approach. Flexibility isn’t just about hours or location; it’s about mindset, support, and community. Elevate does more than simply provide customers with talent solutions tailored to their specific needs, whether it’s a niche skill set for a short-term project or a strategic advisor for a longer engagement. We also provide our Talent what they need to excel, including a robust onboarding process, regular check-ins, ongoing support, and a professional community that provides a sense of belonging through networking events, GC roundtables, and other similar activities. This community-driven model helps lawyers feel connected, supported, and empowered to succeed in non-traditional roles.

Final Thoughts

The legal profession is evolving, whether we’re ready or not. Those who stay curious and open will be the ones who thrive.