Now in its 10th edition, the Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking serves as a significant component of the Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which sets out to identify the most desirable private legal practices across Australia.

The latest survey was conducted from 30 January to 13 February 2025 and garnered a total of 434 responses from legal professionals currently engaged in private practice throughout the country. It recorded the attitudes, priorities, and perceptions of these practitioners, offering a valuable glimpse into the evolving landscape of the legal profession.

Last week, Lawyers Weekly published the Top 25 Attraction Firms Ranking for 2024-25, published how more than 20 per cent of lawyers plan to leave their firms, and revealed which BigLaw firms gained and lost popularity among lawyers this past year.

The methodology

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The annual Lawyers Weekly Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking is based on responses derived from one question within the recent Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which asked participants: “Which legal firms would you consider a move to if you ever decided to leave your current organisation?”

Respondents were able to choose up to five law firms they’d be interested in joining and then were asked, if they had the option, to identify their top choice among those five they selected.

From this, each answer is assigned a point. The ranking is determined by the total points, with the firm that receives the most points ranked the highest. In instances of a tie, a secondary question is used to differentiate between prospective employers.

Participants were not allowed to vote for their own firms to nullify the possibility of any firm influencing the results in its favour.

Firm choices of 18- to 39-year-old lawyers

According to the findings, the top firms that legal professionals aged 18 and 39 (comprising of law students, recent graduates, junior lawyers and other professional staff) find the most attractive to work for are as follows:

10. HWL Ebsworth Lawyers (up from 15th in 2023–24)

9. Lander & Rogers (down from 8th in 2023–24)

8. Corrs Chambers Westgarth (up from 13th in 2023–24)

7. Hall & Wilcox (same position)

6. King & Wood Mallesons (same position)

5. Herbert Smith Freehills (same position)

4. Ashurst (same position)

3. Clayton Utz (same position)

2. MinterEllison (down from 1st in 2023–24)

1. Allens (up from 2nd in 2023–24)

Comparisons to those aged over 40

When comparing this top 10 rankings to that of lawyers who are aged 40 and above, a few things become apparent from a recruitment perspective:

• Allens came up on top as the most attractive firm to work with among both age groups.

• The generational gap at Lander & Rogers is evident, as lawyers under 40 place the firm among their top 10 favourite choices. Older lawyers instead ranked the national firm 17th overall.

• The top five rankings for both age groups feature four firms in common: Allens, MinterEllison, Ashurst, and Herbert Smith Freehills. However, younger lawyers include Clayton Utz in their top five, while older lawyers have opted for Hall & Wilcox in theirs.

• Deloitte Legal also experienced a large gap – it’s the 15th most attractive firm for those aged 18–39; however, it was lower down the list for lawyers aged 40 and above at 38th.

What do lawyers under 40 care about most?

Young lawyers have been clear about what matters most to them in the workplace, highlighting both the areas where their firms are performing well and where there is room for improvement.

Among junior lawyers aged 18 to 29, fourteen per cent rated communication within their firms as poor or terrible, while 15 per cent expressed dissatisfaction with flexible or remote working options – indicating a desire for greater adaptability and transparency.

Despite these concerns, 83 per cent of lawyers in this age group rated their firms’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts highly, and 80 per cent said support for work/life balance was good or excellent, reflecting the strong value placed on inclusive and balanced work environments.

For those in the 30 to 39 age bracket, the most appreciated aspects were the quality of leadership and support for work/life balance – consistent priorities shared by lawyers across all groups under 40.

However, compensation and reward systems, along with overall wellbeing, emerged as key areas of concern among this cohort, pointing to a need for more holistic support and recognition.

Commentary

Reflecting on the findings, Lawyers Weekly managing editor Jerome Doraisamy said: “These results offer fascinating insights into the vocational motivations of lawyers across the spectrum.

“Leaders in law firms, and their human resources teams, would do well to be mindful of such diversity of perception, and how best they can retain top talent, in all age demographics.”

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