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Our new report, Disloyal lawyers: has the partner track lost its lustre? unveils different career paths for lawyers. Ones that move away from the traditional partnership model. It unveils how the assumed routes to success, finding a good firm and staying put until you make partner, are no longer end-goals for many lawyers. 

One surprising statistic from our report demonstrated that, despite awareness of new legal models and a degree of apathy towards the partnership model, three-quarters (75%) of associates plan to stay in Private Practice over the next five years.

This invites questions: are lawyers intrigued by new opportunities within firms? Has the pull of a better work-life balance dampened the push for partner? Are lawyers happy coasting instead of pushing themselves?

Our report found the legal sector, like most sectors, has been transformed in the years directly following the pandemic. It found a sector in flux, with age-old assumptions and normative traditions challenged. In this article, we explore how new priorities have led to new career paths and look at some of the firms forging unique paths to retain talented lawyers.

The demand for new career options at law firms

The pursuit of a greater work-life balance, hastened by shifting priorities during and following the pandemic, has been the main driver of change. Law firms are well aware of the shift in priorities with the popularity of remote and flexible working now well-defined across the sector. Our report found only 7% of lawyers at Private Practice firms were happy staying in the same position, while 26% wanted to be promoted to a position below partner. Most didn't want to follow the partnership route. There's a degree of uncertainty, but this is driven by the diversity of options.

John Joyce, Managing Partner at , has noticed a growing number of career opportunities available to associates in the last few years: 'Associates are now able to engage in a much more open dialogue about their futures without any negative consequences.' Different routes are available, inside and outside of Private Practice firms, and that's translated into less certainty about the path that lawyers want to take.

There's no longer one route to the top, as explained by Louise Duckett, Senior Solicitor and : 'Their challenges or progression might come in different ways, such as a tricky case.' Law firms are aware of that, too. They're aware that lawyers are more open to new opportunities, less stigma exists around moving firms, and less stigma exists around abandoning traditional law firms. Deborah Finkler, Managing Partner at , says: 'We know not everyone will be with us for their whole career...we have moved on from the idea that doing one job, at the same firm, for your whole career is the only option.'

Firms are reacting to that challenge, with some creating bespoke career paths that sit outside the partner track. Many firms allow high-performers to curate their own career paths, meeting the general demand for better work-life balance and consequently retaining talent.

Such changes are necessary if firms want to retain and attract top talent, and this has become a constant and pressing concern. Most firms have experienced, and are experiencing, waves of staff turnover thanks to the pandemic, as lawyers re-evaluated priorities, especially around work-life balance. According to , staff turnover in the top 100 firms is still high. And our report revealed the number one challenge for large law firms in the next 12 months is attracting and retaining talent. 

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How firms are creating new career paths

So law firms are offering new career paths that veer away from the partnership model. But what exactly do these look like? One example comes from , the 'Legal Director' route. This dictates that by the time associates get to the partner stage, they also have the option of becoming a Legal Director. have high levels of responsibility, autonomy, and clout within the firm, without the financial responsibilities or business obligations of a partner. This allows high-performing lawyers to stay with the firm, even progress, without taking on all the stress-inducing responsibilities.

are creating the 'Professional Attorney' track which is different from the partner track by providing lawyers with opportunities for career advancement, skills development, and firm involvement without the business development obligations.

Slaughter and May offer a scheme called 'switch on/switch off' that allows associates to reduce their core working hours in exchange for reduction of renumeration. Associates can take their working hours down to 0.9 or 0.8 FTE. They're also able to take accrued non-working time off in pre-agreed blocks. The scheme boosts flexibility, helps to attract and retain talent and ensures a long-term career path for associates prioritising work-life balance.

According to PwC's Law Firms survey in 2023, many firms aren't simply offering new career paths, but they're adapting the partnership model. Some offer 'fixed share equity partnership', which is self-employed, demands a fixed profit share, and provides restricted voting rights. Others capped partnerships. And some law firms in the US, such as , are also changing the nature of the partner track, giving associates options of billing 1,600 hours of 1,900 hours per year, allowing greater flexibility and a better work-life balance.

Discover the full findings in our free report, Disloyal lawyers: has the partner track lost its lustre? Download today!