According to the 2022 Report on the State of US Small Law Firms from the Thomson Reuters Institute, leaders of small law firms in the United States generally feel that their firms are successful and poised for greater future growth in key areas; however, many areas of caution remain that small law firms will need to carefully navigate.

Even as the overall economy has turned sour for many, smaller law firms have maintained a bullish outlook on their future prospects, and likely with good reason. Evidence across the legal marketplace indicates that corporate clients are looking for ways to push work down to lower-cost legal service providers, creating new opportunities for smaller law firms to capitalize on their pricing advantages.

At the same time, however, those small law firms that serve primarily individual clients continue to face pressure from alternative providers like do-it-yourself (DIY) legal sites. Yet, small law firms report that they are not facing an increasing degree of pressure from those competitors, with whom they have learned to cope over many years of market maneuvering.

While leaders of small law firm continue to characterize their practices as generally successful, for example, some cracks potentially may be emerging. Increasing costs pressures for some small law firms and a heavier administrative burden continue to place ever greater pressure on firm leaders. Moreover, broader economic challenges could put further pressures on this group of firms.