A new BCG Attorney Search report has revealed the 20 fastest-growing legal practice areas for 2025–2026 — and law firms nationwide are actively hiring to meet the surging demand. The findings highlight how technology, regulation, and global change are reshaping the legal job market, providing valuable insight for attorneys and law students planning their next career move.
Learn more from this report: The 20 Practice Areas Growing the Fastest in 2025-2026 (and What Firms Are Hiring in Them)
According to the report, practice areas linked to technology, sustainability, and regulation are seeing the strongest growth. Fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Law, Data Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Digital Assets are booming as industries adapt to new compliance and ethical standards.
At the same time, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) law, Renewable Energy, Healthcare and Telemedicine, and Climate Change Law are emerging as top areas for expansion, fueled by innovation and regulatory reform. Major firms such as Latham & Watkins, Cooley, Orrick, Wilson Sonsini, and Kirkland & Ellis are already recruiting aggressively in these sectors.
🌟 Key Growth Areas
1. Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Law
AI regulation is rapidly evolving worldwide, pushing firms like Wilson Sonsini, Cooley, and Fenwick & West to expand their tech-focused legal teams.
2. Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
With stricter global data laws and cybersecurity threats on the rise, firms such as Orrick and Hogan Lovells are hiring privacy experts.
3. ESG and Sustainability
Driven by investor expectations and government policies, ESG law continues to grow. Latham & Watkins and Paul Weiss lead the recruitment surge.
4. Renewable Energy
The shift toward decarbonization has made renewable energy law one of the hottest markets, with firms like Norton Rose Fulbright and Akin Gump expanding practices.
5. Healthcare & Telemedicine
Telehealth regulation is evolving quickly, creating demand for specialists at McDermott Will & Emery and Foley & Lardner.
Other expanding areas include Digital Assets and Blockchain, M&A, Environmental Law, Labor and Employment, Antitrust, and Corporate Restructuring.
⚖️ What It Means for Attorneys
The report suggests that lawyers who align their careers with these high-demand specialties will be well-positioned for future opportunities. Law students are encouraged to focus on courses and clerkships in these fast-moving fields, while practicing attorneys may consider lateral moves to firms growing in these spaces.
Law firms, meanwhile, face a competitive hiring environment as they seek top talent to meet client demand across technology, regulatory, and sustainability-driven sectors.
Learn more from this report: The 20 Practice Areas Growing the Fastest in 2025-2026 (and What Firms Are Hiring in Them)