Each week, the Law.com Barometer newsletter, powered by the ALM Global Newsroom and Legalweek, brings you the trends, disruptions and shifts our reporters and editors are tracking through coverage spanning every beat and region across the ALM Global Newsroom. The micro-topic coverage will not only help you navigate the changing legal landscape but also prepare you to discuss these shifts with thousands of legal leaders at Legalweek 2023, taking place March 20-23, 2023 in New York City. Stay tuned for more information.

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The Disruption: When Demand Falls, Expect Partnership Clashes and Billing Rate Pushback

 The blockbuster legal demand in 2021 appears to be fading, and the legal industry now faces several headwinds.

As last year's red-hot demand dims, talent costs are rising on both the partner and associate fronts. While law firms can raise their billing rates more, many corporate legal departments have flat budgets. Their companies are facing rising inflation and they are closely watching how associate pay raises may impact their legal spend.