is a jealous mistress ,” in which a lawyer only finds safety in “ unwavering devotion ” to his profession to the detriment of everything and everyone else . Or as Angert puts it , “ I do believe that the American lawyer , like the American businessman , makes work the sole purpose of his life , because he has adopted the false standard that life is only for work .”
The intervening century provided at least some reasons to think Angert ’ s beliefs were well founded . In 1958 , the American Bar Association formally recommended that lawyers bill 1,300 hours per year . By the 1980s , a target of 1,750 to 1,800 hours was described as “ commonplace .” The 2002 ABA Commission on Billable Hours Report recommended that 1,900 hours should be the standard . Per the National Association for Law Placement , among “ big law ” firms , that number has ballooned to an average of 2,208 billable hours per year .
The effects on lawyers are understood by every practicing attorney in America . The recent efforts to improve mental health in the profession are admirable . Mental health issues have been gradually de-stigmatized , and lawyers speak more openly with each other about the challenges the profession can pose . However , the numbers alone would say that the law is a bigger and more taxing part of many lawyers ’ lives than ever before . This is what makes it so curious , then , that lawyers appear to be more hopeful and optimistic about the future of the law than they have in years . The reasons why have yet to be fully briefed , but a few key statistics suggest that younger lawyers are meaningfully changing the way that they see and interact with the law , with implications that may reverberate further still .
Lawyers are getting happier
Here ’ s a shocking statistic : Lawyers are reporting higher levels of job satisfaction now than in prior decades .
Between November of 2022 and January of 2023 , the NALP Foundation surveyed almost 2,000 lawyers from the Class of 2019 . 47 % reported they are “ extremely satisfied ” with their jobs , a 5 % increase from the year before . Another 38 % said they were “ somewhat satisfied .”
One factor that Angert could never have imagined ? Remote and hybrid positions . The NALP found that 88 % of members of the Class of 2017 who had remote jobs
IN THE PROFESSION
reported they were extremely or somewhat satisfied , significantly higher than the average .
Another factor ? Attorneys are leaving the jobs they do not like at a higher rate than ever before . The number of associates switching firms grew 149 % between 2020 and 2021 , along with a 43 % increase in partners making lateral maneuvers . Both of these figures are the largest in NALP history .
The primary reason for those lawyers moving , according to a 2023 survey by Realm Recruit , is money . But the other two most popular reasons ? “ Unhappiness or disengagement in their current role ” and “ greater flexibility .”
Lawyers are more likely to marry people who understand them ( i . e ., other lawyers )
It is a good thing lawyers are getting happier , because if you , dear reader , are married , then statistically speaking it is to another lawyer . CNBC reports that that is true of both male and female attorneys and judges .
The statistic is interesting , but the far more engaging question is why . Some reasons are obvious - most lawyers spend three or more years in law school during their formative years , when their class ( and hence , their dating pool ) is mostly would-be attorneys . Others are less clear . As one anonymous commenter wrote in an online forum on this subject three years ago , “ There ’ s no one in the world who understands exactly what a lawyer does except for another lawyer .”
This , too , dovetails with satisfaction and happiness among lawyers . The ability to express , discuss , and “ vent ” about the daily challenges of law is essential for mental health . The feeling of being able to solve problems , or even simply to gripe about them , with others who understand and empathize is irreplaceable . The unique challenges that come with being an attorney make it near impossible at times for outsiders to truly empathize , no matter how sympathetic or thoughtful they may be .
Americans ( including lawyers ) are getting married later ( if they get married at all )
Under 50 % of American adults are married , and 37 % of American adults are not in a romantic relationship
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