I was born in 1984 (i.e. technically, a Millennial) and admitted to the Bar in 2007, less than 20 years ago, but many things have happened since, including a global pandemic, some of which were not even predicted by George Orwell when he wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four. The world’s priorities have shifted for every generation, across Generations X, Y and Z.
My biggest and only worry when I was a first-year associate at a Magic Circle Firm was to be excellent at my work, to exceed expectations at any time, with no concerns about spending too much of my life in the office. Sadly or not, pulling an all-nighter was a fun fact, an anecdote to share with my utopian grand-children. Working closely with the Partners, even beyond normal office hours, was synonymous with growth and development, and spending a weekend in a data room manually reviewing contracts was a fun weekend to wait for. This sounds prehistoric, but it was less than twenty (20) years ago.
Challenges in Managing Gen Z in Law Firms
We now face a paradigm shift emphasised by Covid-19, and facilitated by a technology revolution that has allowed all lawyers to be more efficient than ever at legal research, document review, and legal drafting, and work from anywhere and everywhere.
What is pivotal is understanding the priorities that the foundations of our workforce recognize. How can we ensure that we retain them and support their growth to become the generation that will lead major law firms by 2050?
It is key that Partners improve their ability to manage Gen Z lawyers, and this requires some skilful adjustments. Partners who are not successful in this journey will create serious succession planning challenges for their law firms.
All law firms have a roadmap to become more diverse in terms of gender, race, social backgrounds, but most do not have a real handbook about how to attract and, most importantly, retain, the youngest legal talent.
Strategies for Effective Management
Here is a decalogue of the key factors that are top of mind for young lawyers in 2025, along with a list of must-haves that every law firm should focus on to improve long-term retention.
- Working from home: ensuring that the firm has a flexible working policy in place, with a hybrid model between working from home and from the office.
- Progressive technology resources: allocating cutting-edge technology for all fee-earners to be able to seamlessly work remotely and focus on intellectually stimulating and strategic tasks.
- A realistic pursuit of passion: implementing quarterly appraisals to realign career goals if needed, while fostering a safe environment where lawyers can identify, explore and share their life and career purpose.
- Antagonistic to hierarchical structures: promoting a performance and merit-driven culture through established values and systems.
- Additional benefits are of the essence: these have become key versus monetary benefits. Days of leave, gym and wellness allowances, etc. have become a critical part of the value proposition of a law firm. Do not underestimate these, as they will increase or decrease the firm’s competitiveness against its peers.
- An illusional and distorted view of what “work-life balance” really means: create non-billable targets, value other intangible contributions to the firm beyond a traditional time sheet, and grant credits for these, e.g. by including these as a bonus criteria.
- Genuine tender loving care from seniors: collegiate environments will win versus individualistic styles. Creating a supportive mentor figure, and facilitating constant and seamless channels of collaboration.
- Alignment in values: each law firm should explicitly define its non-negotiable values, i.e., the values that the firm wants to be known for as an employer.
- Having real role models who have pushed boundaries and carved out their own paths: hire and nurture the right Partners, who for all intends and purposes will be the best ambassadors of the firm and will be instrumental in this mission. Many Gen Z lawyers are not interested in being the first ones in breaking the glass ceiling.
- A fair and smooth recruitment process: candidates are increasingly sensitive to unfair or lengthy recruitment procedures. Ensure a seamless candidate experience from the initial application through to completion, guided by ethical practices.
In the developed world, we are fortunate to have our basic needs met, often in abundance. This enables young lawyers to focus on the factors outlined above, whether by privilege or circumstance.
Whether we like it or not, we are tasked with a pivotal mission: to adapt and nurture the next generation of partners in law firms. To successfully do this, we must align their generational needs with the business goals of law firms.
About the author
Tessa Arquilliere, Legal Director
Tessa Arquilliere is a legal executive search specialist for law firms and Director at Aslant Legal. She provides strategic advice to employers on hiring strategies and assists lawyers in achieving their professional goals by finding them fulfilling roles aligned with their aspirations.
Admitted to the Spanish Bar in 2007, she brings a unique blend of legal insight and recruitment prowess to her role.
Beyond her professional achievements, Tessa has three (3) children and, having been raised in a multicultural family; is a passionate linguist who speaks fluent English, Spanish, and French.
