Jul 2, 2026 – 10.49amAt the country’s law firms, it pays to be stuck in the middle. While graduate and partner numbers saw tidy growth this year, senior associates hit the real goldilocks spot, growing at almost double the rate of their underlings and their bosses alike.The comparative strength of mid-career talent is a canary in the legal coal mine. As AI casts its uncertain shadow over the law, the smartest hire is someone with enough expertise to outgun a large language model – but who is far cheaper to employ than a partner.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles