Featured Job Survey: Does the In-House Always Win?

We received 1,062 responses to our ATL / Lateral Link survey on in-house aspirations.
As shown in the charts below, over half of associates are satisfied or even “very satisfied” with their current positions, but about half would still like to go in-house.
Associate Responses: Are You Satisfied With Your Current Job?

Associate Responses: Would You Like To Go In-House?

Find out why and where associates want to move, and what in-house counsel are thinking themselves, after the jump.


Hours were, by far, the most cited reason for associates to go in-house:
 • Over 82% percent of associates viewed the lack of billable hours as a tempting aspect of in-house life.
 • Better hours and better quality of life were also each cited by almost 80% of associates.
 • Almost a third of associates liked the idea of “being part of the company”, and about a quarter thought that the ability to work with just one client was appealing.
 • Only twelve percent of associates thought that in-house work would be more interesting, and less than nine percent expected better pay.
Where do all the associates want to go?
 • Almost half of associates considered media and entertainment companies interesting destinations.
 • Sports, hedge fund, banking, and government opportunities each appealed to about a third of associates.
 • Consumer products companies, software or technology ventures, and non-profits each attracted about a quarter of associates, and pharmaceutical companies appealed to about 22%.
 • Energy opportunies appealed to roughly 15% and real estate positions appealed to only a handful of readers. (I still think that this real estate position at an energy company is pretty amazing, though.)
On the in-house front, attorneys were definitely more satisfied:
 • More than 82% of in-house counsel described themselves as satisfied or very satisfied, and only five percent reported dissatisfaction with their current jobs.
 • In line with associate expectations, roughly 80% of in-house counsel cited each of quality of life, lack of billable hours, and better hours as appealing aspects of their jobs.
 • In contrast to associates, however, half of in-house counsel viewed being part of their companies as a benefit of being in-house, and 43% cited more interesting work.
 • Roughly 82% of in-house counsel would not return to the law firm fold. About 13% aren’t sure, and only five percent would like to go back to law firms.
 • Three quarters of in-house counsel cite better pay as a reason to work in law firms.
 • More interesting work and the ability to work with multiple clients are also both cited by about one quarter of in-house counsel as appealing features of law firm jobs.

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