What does it take to cultivate job satisfaction at a law firm? In a new report from BTI Consulting Group, associates in law firms of all sizes — ranging from small firms to midsize firms to Biglaw firms — pointed out exactly what they wanted from and valued in their work lives, and which firms were the best at committing to their overall happiness.
Here’s an interesting newsflash from the report: it’s not all about the money for law firm associates. In fact, just 9.4% of associates are all about the Benjamins. According to BTI, the vast majority of their associate respondents are looking for much more from their firms, including these seven core activities:
- Abundant and clear commitment to accelerate associates’ careers
- Meaningful and hyper-relevant training
- High-impact mentoring
- Clear career growth path within their firm
- Strong job satisfaction
- Targeted support addressing women associates’ distinct needs
- Having at least one partner actively invested in their success
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After evaluating more than 5,000 responses, BTI found that 189 firms did the best when it came to excellent associate job satisfaction. Today, we’ll take a look at the firms that are real winners when it comes to keeping associates satisfied. As noted by BTI, these 36 firms are the ones that associates consistently recognized for keeping them happy in their work lives.
Here they are, in alphabetical order:
- Baker Donelson
- Burr & Forman
- Choate
- Clyde & Co
- Debevoise
- Faegre Drinker
- Fenwick & West
- Finnegan
- Fisher Phillips
- Fox Rothschild
- Freshfields
- GrayRobinson
- Greenberg Traurig
- Gunderson Dettmer
- Hall & Evans
- Hogan Lovells
- Holland & Knight
- Hunton Andrews Kurth
- Husch Blackwell
- Jones Day
- Katten
- Kelley Drye
- King & Spalding
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Kirton McConkie
- Latham & Watkins
- Maynard Nexsen
- McDermott Will & Schulte
- Milbank
- Mintz
- Simpson Thacher
- Tucker Ellis
- Williams Mullen
- Wilson Elser
- Wilson Sonsini
- Wood Smith Henning & Berman
In an industry known for its demanding pace and high expectations, the firms earning top marks for associate satisfaction deserve recognition for creating environments where lawyers feel supported, valued, and motivated to succeed. Congratulations!
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189 Law Firms with the Highest Associate Job Satisfaction [BTI Consulting Group]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.