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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.
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:
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:
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