2026 Interim Legal Talent Snapshot

The 2026 Interim Legal Talent Snapshot examines how legal departments and law firms are leveraging experienced interim counsel to stay agile amid regulatory, technological, and economic change. Organizations increasingly rely on MLA’s alternative legal services provider (ALSP), Interim Legal Talent, to address evolving, practice-area-specific needs without the time or cost commitments associated with full-time hiring.

• Demand for interim legal talent remains strong into 2026, driven by regulatory complexity, technology and AI adoption, and pressure to control costs while maintaining productivity.
• Organizations are increasingly using interim counsel across regulated industries, transactional roles, privacy and cybersecurity, AI governance, and legal operations to address immediate and specialized needs.
• Interim engagements are evolving into longer-term, strategic solutions, including interim-to-perm pathways and fractional leadership models such as fractional General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer roles.