For many years, firms all over the country have called on an army of locums to cover holiday and sickness - often at short notice.


However the market is changing and as 'locums' become 'interims' recognition of their value has increased dramatically, as has demand for them. Both private practice and the in-house sector have embraced this labour force and are making use of candidates that are highly skilled, flexible and, crucially, available at short notice.



Traditionally, there has been a large circle of 'career locums', who move from firm to firm - often within a local area - covering for holidays and sickness for several weeks.



This type of candidate is essential to many smaller and regional firms. Often these 'locums' have many years' post-qualification experience and bring with them in-depth knowledge of their practice. Typically, they cover residential conveyancing, probate, family, or commercial property positions.



The past five years have also seen an influx of foreign-qualified lawyers from across the world, especially from common law jurisdictions. Traditionally, this group of lawyers has travelled from Australia and New Zealand on short-term visas that have restricted their time in the UK to one to two years.



The introduction of the highly- skilled migrant visa in 2003 permits qualified professionals to stay longer, potentially indefinitely, allowing them to focus on their career plans. These candidates often look to accept temporary positions to gain some UK experience, and a feel for the profession here.



These candidates prove to be an excellent resource, as their experience complements the needs of clients. This new breed of lawyers has quickly garnered a reputation for being flexible, quick to learn, and committed to the task in hand.



It is perhaps the experience of this impressive work-force that has influenced the recent trend among City firms to take more foreign-qualified lawyers straight into fee-earning roles.



The most recent addition to this pool of interim lawyers has arisen from the demand for a better work/life balance. Lawyers are taking sabbaticals or career breaks more frequently, and high-calibre lawyers are choosing to complete interim project roles to keep their 'toe in', while they decide on a new career path or often a new direction within the law.



All of these groups add up to a highly-skilled, experienced work- force that is able to add immediate value to a department.



Often interims can end up providing the permanent solution as well. Both candidates and clients can view the interim period as an extended job interview - the results can be very positive, and the transition from interim to permanent smooth.



Of course there are cases when the interim solution is not the right one and a a temporary position is just that. Organisations should not be surprised if an interim continues to seek permanent positions while they are employed, albeit ensuring this is done outside working hours.



Potential employers should also be aware that interim applicants often will have a different career profile to permanent applicants and they should therefore not necessarily expect the same type of CV.



The most successful placements occur when the lawyer feels integrated into the department and is getting the same guidance and supervision as an equivalent permanent member of staff. These candidates will offer loyalty and excellent quality of work, and can add value.



Different sectors approach the idea of interim staff in different ways. Public sector legal teams, especially within local government, have embraced interim lawyers as a way of ensuring productivity when they have struggled to find permanent staff.

This workforce is essential to meet the demands of government and good local government lawyers are always in demand. This practice is now spilling into the central government, housing and education sectors.



Demand for experienced commercial lawyers has risen greatly in the past 12 months within the in-house sector as businesses recognise the benefit of short-term assignments to cover heavy periods of contract work in particular. These roles can often give lawyers the opportunity to broaden their experience as they can gain other skills, particularly within the employment, corporate and competition areas.



Investment and retail banking is a sector that is both attractive to candidates and positive towards interim staff. For ten years, most large banks have had a large 'temp population', initially for financial reporting reasons. Recently, this has spilled into the legal department, especially in dealing with large volumes of documentation.



A more recent trend has also been spotted among London law firms - for the first time we are seeing magic circle and US firms taking interim lawyers for transactional roles. These candidates are often Commonwealth, as opposed to UK, qualified.



There can be little doubt that this sector will continue to grow, reflecting the needs of both candidates and clients.



Checklist for taking on Interims:



l Wherever possible, meet the temporary worker before the assignment starts; even an informal chat can be useful;

l When recruiting for temporary staff, be flexible. Interim staff will have different CV profiles than permanent candidates;

l Make sure that the agency has carefully referenced the candidate and carried out relevant visa checks;

l Supervise the candidate during the assignment, ensure you are happy with the quality of work before signing off their time-sheet;

l Make the temporary worker feel involved; invite them to team events, socials and the like;

l Have an open dialogue with the temp and if there are any issues raise them early - equally, if things are going well let them know; and

l Maintain contact with the employment agency.



Helen Godwin is business manager in Hays Legal's interims and paralegals division