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The number of law jobs in the United Kingdom has surged by almost a quarter in the first three months of 2018.

With UK companies scrambling to become General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant before the May 25th deadline, legal experts are now in demand more than ever.

The number of new law jobs was up a massive 23 per cent at the end of March 2018, when compared with the end of March 2017.

The GDPR is a legal framework which sets out guidelines for businesses which collect or process the personal information (eg. names, email addresses, telephone numbers, IP addresses etc.) of individuals within the European Union.

It has been around since April 2016, but it is only towards the end of May when the rules will be enforced. With non-compliant businesses facing fines of €20 million or 4% of annual turnover, companies are taking the legal framework seriously, leading to a goldrush on experts in the legal field.

Commenting on the job surge in the legal sector, Robert Walters’ chief executive officer for the UK, Middle East and Africa, Chris Hickey, said: “GDPR is a high priority for firms across the UK, and legal ­professionals have subsequently been highly sought after to support firms in adapting to the new guidelines.”

“This demand has applied to both in-house roles and positions within private practice, as smaller businesses engage law firms to support changes to their processes to ensure compliance,” added Mr Hickey.

Other factors leading to growth in the legal jobs sector include tighter regulation in the financial services sector, leading to experts in finance law being in high demand.

If you fancy riding the wave and getting into a legal career then please take a look at our advice on Law Apprenticeships where you will also find live schemes and jobs awaiting your application.