Finding the right fit: New lawyers rejecting long hours, big salaries in favor of work-life balance
In 2021, the hiring of lateral associates skyrocketed 148.5%, the largest year-over-year increase recorded, according to NALP. Likewise, Thomson Reuters warned that by November 2021, law firms were “edging dangerously close” to seeing almost a quarter of their associates leave. However, while firms have raised associate compensation to lure talent, many new lawyers are not as interested in big salaries as previous generations of new attorneys.