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Lawyers in their 30s are least satisfied cohort in private practice
Recent research suggests that, broadly speaking, practitioners at firms are content with their employers’ performance on various metrics. A slightly deeper examination, however, suggests there are also warning signs for employers regarding their lawyers between the ages of 30 and 39.
Lawyers Weekly
What is the Legal Firm of Choice Survey?
This latest survey was conducted between 22 January and 14 February and received 401 responses in total, recording the attitudes, priorities, and perceptions of legal professionals in private practice across Australia.
Attributes findings (all respondents)
Included in the survey was respondents’ ratings of their law firms on various workplace attributes, including career progression, culture, pay and reward, and support for wellbeing.
Source: 2023–24 Legal Firm of Choice Survey (Agile Market Intelligence and Lawyers Weekly)
|
|
Excellent
|
Good
|
Neutral
|
Poor
|
Terrible
|
|
Career progression
|
38
|
37
|
19
|
5
|
1
|
|
Communication
|
40
|
35
|
16
|
7
|
2
|
|
Culture
|
50
|
30
|
15
|
4
|
1
|
|
Diversity and Equality
|
47
|
31
|
17
|
4
|
0
|
|
Pay and Reward
|
29
|
41
|
19
|
9
|
1
|
|
Quality of leadership
|
46
|
33
|
13
|
5
|
2
|
|
Recognition for individual performance
|
43
|
34
|
16
|
5
|
1
|
|
Support for mental wellbeing
|
46
|
31
|
16
|
5
|
1
|
|
Support for physical wellbeing
|
43
|
30
|
20
|
6
|
1
|
|
Support for work/life balance
|
49
|
32
|
12
|
4
|
1
|
Speaking about the findings, Lawyers Weekly editor Jerome Doraisamy said: “Prima facie, it appears that private practice lawyers are generally pleased with the performance of their employers when it comes to supporting vocational development and facilitating cultural, practical and personal needs.”
In an age of buzzwords and terms like the Great Resignation, he mused, the notion that law firms are, by and large, perceived favourably by staff members is encouraging.
However, Doraisamy continued, when broken down by age demographics, red flags show up regarding one specific age group.
Attributes findings (by age)
The table below lists the percentage of respondents, in particular age groups, who rated their employers as either “excellent” or “good” on the proposed workplace attributes:
Source: 2023–24 Legal Firm of Choice Survey (Agile Market Intelligence and Lawyers Weekly)
|
18-29 years
|
30-39 years
|
40-49 years
|
50-59 years
|
60 or above
|
|
|
Career progression
|
83
|
69
|
79
|
76
|
73
|
|
Communication
|
72
|
66
|
82
|
86
|
87
|
|
Culture
|
86
|
71
|
82
|
89
|
84
|
|
Diversity and Equality
|
86
|
72
|
80
|
86
|
87
|
|
Pay and Reward
|
66
|
63
|
79
|
76
|
84
|
|
Quality of leadership
|
83
|
70
|
84
|
86
|
84
|
|
Recognition for individual performance
|
71
|
72
|
81
|
90
|
84
|
|
Support for mental wellbeing
|
80
|
66
|
83
|
84
|
91
|
|
Support for physical wellbeing
|
71
|
64
|
79
|
84
|
89
|
|
Support for work/life balance
|
75
|
74
|
89
|
86
|
100
|
When broken down by age, a few key findings stand out:
- On every attribute except one, lawyers in their 30s are less satisfied with their employers and, in some instances, by significant margins.
- One in three 30-something lawyers are either neutral or negative on their employers’ communication channels.
- Three in 10 lawyers in their 30s are either neutral or negative on their employers’ culture and efforts on DEI.
- Less than two-thirds of 30-something lawyers rate their employers as either “excellent” or “good” regarding pay and reward.
- One-third of lawyers in their 30s are either neutral or negative regarding their employers’ level of support for both physical and mental wellbeing.
Comments
Doraisamy suggested that the findings regarding lawyers in their 30s should be taken seriously by law firms across the board.
“30-something lawyers are at a vocational inflection point – many are getting married and starting families, and thus considering their next professional moves in accordance with what will be best for them personally. Many will also be on the cusp of partnership, or already having made partner, and/or considering a move in-house for the oft-cited improvements in work/life balance,” he said.
“Employers in private practice would be wise to pay attention to this demographic, particularly with a new financial year – and salary review season – fast approaching.
“Ahead of the 2024–25 financial year, it will be critical for firms to engage in open, honest conversations about remuneration – particularly if the looming revised stage-three tax cuts are going to be used as a reason to offer lower pay rises.
“That is, potentially, a lot of scope for movement to competitor firms that may offer a better environmental fit for a lawyers’ idiosyncratic needs.”
Looking ahead of FY25, Doraisamy concluded, firms must avoid complacency and get on the same page as their lawyers aged between 30 and 39, lest they lose top and emerging talent to competitors looking to bolster their ranks in key practice areas.
Since late February, Lawyers Weekly has been publishing insights from the 2023–24 iteration of the Legal Firm of Choice Survey. To read those stories, click below:
- Top 25 Attraction Firms revealed for 2023–24
- Women more likely to see gender pay gap in law than men
- 1 in 5 lawyers want to leave their firms this year – where will they go?
- Male lawyers more likely to rate their remuneration highly
- Revealed: 5-year trends for the Legal Firm of Choice Survey
- Which BigLaw firms do male and female lawyers want to work at right now?
- What the top attraction firms offer their women lawyers
- Where lawyers under 40 want to work right now
- Where lawyers aged 40+ want to work right now
