b'14 Local Government Lawyerfirm, compared with 35-50K in localsalary figures for 2018, as measured by anThe skills gapgovernment.analysis of the listings on Local Government Even after the lifting of the public sectorLawyers jobs board Public Law Jobs, showWhich skills will be essential for lawyers pay cap, salary rises for local governmentthat when compared with 2017, averagein local government in the future? We lawyers have remained subdued. Averagebase salaries for in-house local governmentasked both heads of legal and other local government lawyers what they saw as being Figure 5: Which skills will be essential for lawyers in local government in the future? the most important attributes to work in local government law (FIG 5). While there were many areas of 73% agreement, there were also some interesting differences of opinion.63% In the top three, for example, technical 59% 61% 60% 58% legal knowledge and problem-solving skills are both valued highly by management and 48% 48% 48% 50% staff alike, but adaptability is an attribute 45% 43% 45% valued much more by heads of legal than 40% by rank-and-file lawyers as are negotiation In top ve37%skills, technological skills and people 31%30% management skills.24% 26% In the opposite direction, staff are more 21% 18% likely than their management to think 16% 17% that legal analytical skills, communication 8% skills and, above all, knowledge of local government structures and culture will be important skills in the future.Technical legal knowledge Adaptability Negoaon skills People management skills Legal analycal skills Awareness of local government General problem-solving skills structures and cultureCommercial awareness Understanding of technology Communicaon skills Customer service skillsThe ability to work as part of a teamThe survey also asked lawyers whether they preferred to be generalists or specialists. 60% of lawyers asked said they would prefer to specialise, a small rise on the 58% who said the same thing when this survey was last conducted in 2015. We always have specialists advising the other side. We need to [be able to] represent our clients properly, said one Management respondent. I want to be good at what I Everyone else do, said another.For those who preferred to remain generalists, the variety of work on offer Figure 4: What are the THREE most important factors in deciding where you work? (Pleasewas the main attraction. A huge benefit rank in order) of being a local government lawyer is good % of answers in top three % of rst choice answers % of second choice answers % of third choice answersWork-life balance 68% 33% 18% 17%Quality and type of work available 53% 22% 15% 16%Pay/pension 50% 14% 20% 16%Locaon 41% 16% 14% 11%Culture and collegiality 22% 5% 6% 11%Job security 18% 2% 8% 8%Career prospects 14% 2% 9% 3%Reputaon of the authority as a whole 10% 2% 3% 5%Leadership of the department 6% 1% 2% 3%Anity to area/community 6% 1% 3% 2%Reputaon of the legal department 5% 1% 1% 3%Commitment to innovave pracce (e.g. trading services) 3% 0% 1% 2%Size of department 1% 0% 1% 1%Structure of department (e.g. whether a shared service or not) 1% 0% 0% 1%'