We asked hundreds of lawyers about their career priorities, what trade-offs they are willing to make, and what they expect from their employers. Their responses reveal where law firms are meeting expectations and where significant gaps remain.
Read insights from Part One here.
Why Associates Are Walking Away
Lawyers are well paid.
Yet turnover in the legal profession remains high.
We see lawyers:
- Leaving without jobs lined up
- Taking significant pay cuts
- Simply unable to continue
Why?
We surveyed hundreds of lawyers to find out what they will and won’t accept.
What this tells us:
High pay does not justify poor leadership.
For most lawyers, the working environment matters more than compensation alone.
This is a leadership problem, not a generational one.
Work-Life Balance vs. Higher Pay
We asked lawyers to pick one:
Higher pay OR better work-life balance?
The choice varies by career stage
Early to mid-career (3-15 years):
7 out of 10 choose balance over money.
Partnership level (16-20 years):
Most choose money over balance.
Senior level (21+ years):
Balance becomes the priority again
What this means:
Most lawyers won’t stay just because you pay them more.
Mid-career lawyers want better hours and flexibility, not bigger paychecks.
The Career Goals Firms Are Missing
We asked lawyers
What do you most wish your employer understood about your career goals?
Here's what they said:
Financial rewards ranked last.
When lawyers think about career success, they prioritise flexibility, feeling valued, and knowing where they’re headed.
Pay matters. But it’s not enough on its own
The Promotion Blind Spot
Only 39% of lawyers know how to get promoted.
The longer lawyers stay, the less they know about how to progress.
Lawyers ranked “clear growth paths” as a top career priority but most firms aren’t providing it.
When people can’t see their path forward, they leave.
Clarity is not a nice-to-have. It’s a retention tool.
Conclusion
Compensation matters. But it’s not enough on its own.
Lawyers want sustainable workloads, clarity on progression, fair treatment, and leadership they can trust.
Most won’t trade their wellbeing for a bigger paycheck.
Firms that get this will keep their people. Firms that only adjust salaries will keep losing them.
