b'Local Government Lawyer 3Contentsp4, The end of more for less?Local government legal department workloads are on the rise, while budgets are stretched thin and a sector-wide financial crisis shows no sign of abating. Adam Carey looks at how legal departments are responding and asks whether they are nearing the limits of doing more for less. p12, Permanent problemRecruiting permanent legal professionals is becoming tougher for local government, leaving departments reliant on costly locum positions- but could this cycle be set to end? Adam Carey considers how departments are changing their recruitment practices in response to hiring woes. p14, Rarely a dull momentIn the face of post-pandemic pressures and deepening financial strain, local authority lawyers remain strikingly positive about their careers. Lottie Winson explores why job satisfaction remains high in the sector.p14, Home or Away?With just 5% of local government legal professionals working from the office full time, home-working has clearly become the norm. Lottie Winson examines how the sector has adapted to hybrid working, and considers whether the full-time office mandate might be a thing of the past. p14, Changing courseWith councils struggling to recruit qualified lawyers, could the new route to qualification - the Solicitors Qualifying Examiniation - offer a reliable source of fresh blood for local government? Adam Carey reports.p14, Putting the future on holdPrivate practice is adopting artificial intelligence (AI) at speed, but is local government keeping up? Adam Carey considers the Legal Department of the Futures survey data on AI adoption in legal departments and looks at how lawyers can incorporate AI systems into their day-to-day work.Display, Events & Sponsortship Editor Publisher Advertising Philip Hoult Derek Bedlow Sarah Howes Recruitment Advertisingphilip.hoult@ derek.bedlow@ sarah.howes@ Kate McCreerylocalgovernmentlawyer.co.uk localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk localgovernmentlawyer.co.ukkate@localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk'