Almost Half of Young Lawyers Express Willingness to Leave Employers for Greater Flexibility

A divide between newer and more experienced lawyers is emerging in the wake of Covid. Earlier this week, the American Bar Association (ABA) released its 2022 Practice Forward report, which showed that almost half (44 percent) of lawyers with ten years of experience or less would be willing to leave their current employer for one that offers more remote work. Just 13 percent of those with 41+ years of experience said they would leave.

The report, published with the purpose of gaining an understanding of the “new normal” that legal professionals and employers face post-pandemic, includes survey responses from nearly 2,000 ABA members working in jobs requiring a law degree. 

Three-quarters of respondents expressed a willingness to work in the office any time their employer asks (81 percent of men and 68 percent of women), but the strong majority of all respondents—nine in ten—reported that remote work either improved, or did not adversely affect, their work’s quality. Women were more likely to report that their work metrics (work quality, productivity, billable hours) improved.

Almost half, 47 percent, of respondents said that remote work positively impacted their ability to balance work and family obligations. Among women, 56 percent felt that it improved their ability to find balance. Just over a quarter of respondents, 27 percent, reported that remote work increased the quality of their mental health while the majority noted that it had no impact (57 percent). Almost half of survey respondents noted that remote/hybrid work diminished the quality of their relationships with co-workers, and 61 percent said that it decreased their professional network. 

The report’s findings demonstrate that, in order to retain a younger generation of lawyers, firms and legal employers must create remote/hybrid work policies that are nuanced and cater to individuals’ needs rather than mandating one-size-fits-all policies.  

Business School Students Seek Jobs with a Mix of In-Person and Remote Work

Flexibility is key for business school students as they consider their future careers. According to a survey by Highered, which includes responses from over 1,000 business school students globally, almost half (49 percent) said that they are looking for hybrid employment, with a mix of onsite and remote work. Similar numbers prefer fully remote (27 percent) or fully onsite work (24 percent). And just over a quarter (26 percent) said that they would not work for an employer who requires employees to be fully onsite. 

When students were asked to name the perceived advantages of remote work, over one-third named the freedom to live where they like (35 percent). 16 percent noted the ability to attend to family commitments. And 15 percent cited the ability to create their own work schedule. Among the perceived disadvantages of remote work, students named the lack of work/life balance (21 percent), pressure to work outside of core business hours (16 percent), and isolation/loneliness (14 percent). 

Just over half of students responded that their business schools are preparing them with the necessary skills to lead remote teams (52 percent). In terms of soft skills needed for successful remote work, students named: self-motivation (35 percent), flexibility / adaptability (14 percent), discipline (13 percent), and time management (10 percent).  

Student responses are in line with the market shifts driven by the pandemic and technological advances. According to Ladders, Inc., the availability of high-paying remote work has “exploded.” There were an estimated 4 percent of high paying (more than $100,000) remote jobs available pre-pandemic and just under 20 percent at the end of 2021. This number is expected to increase to about 25 percent by the end of this year. 

Ladders, Inc. also analyzed the types of high-paying jobs with the most significant increases in remote work from March 2020 to mid-2021. They found that marketing, media, and design (+974 percent increase in remote opportunities, with more than 18 percent of careers available remotely) and project and program management (+801 percent increase in remote opportunities, with about 15 percent of opportunities available remotely) experienced the largest growth. Other roles with plentiful opportunities in remote work include: software engineers, account executives, development engineers, and data engineers. 

Early Career Lawyers Shifting Preferences Towards In-Person Work

Among early career lawyers, preferences may be shifting towards in-person work options and away from fully remote schedules. A recent survey of 2018 law school graduates found that satisfaction levels were lowest among those employed in full-time remote positions, as compared to those in hybrid or in-person roles. The National Association for Law Placement’s (NALP) Class of 2018 Study of Law School Employment & Satisfaction is the latest annual effort designed to gauge the experiences of early career legal professionals. It includes responses from nearly 1500 alumni from 30 law schools working in law firms (51 percent of respondents), businesses and corporations (14 percent), and government agencies (13 percent). 

Likely due to the longevity of the pandemic and the accessibility of vaccines, the responses from the class of 2018 demonstrate a shift in attitude away from remote work and towards in-person options, relative to 2017 respondents. 

• The Class of 2018 reported lower satisfaction with fully remote working options than those in 2017. Among those working remotely, 79 percent of 2018 graduates reported satisfaction compared to 83 percent of 2017 graduates. 

• Both the class of 2017 and the class of 2018 reported the highest satisfaction with a hybrid schedule, although the class of 2018’s satisfaction ticked down compared to the previous class. Among 2018 graduates working hybrid schedules, 83 percent reported satisfaction while 88 percent of 2017 graduates reported satisfaction. 

• Among lawyers working fully in the office, satisfaction ticked up one percentage point for 2018 graduates (82 percent) compared to 2017 (81 percent). 

While many firms expect to continue a hybrid approach with time split between the office and remote, some have returned to fully in-person schedules. And a few have recently announced their intention to allow lawyers to continue to work remotely on a full-time basis.