Associate career aspirations at risk

Recent research on the future of private practice highlights the challenges facing associates in their bid to plan a long and fruitful career in the law. Conducted by Legal Week Intelligence on behalf of Badenoch & Clark, the results of the Future Lawyers research indicate that only just over a third of associates want to progress to partner in their current practice. With the law being as challenging as it is to get into, both intellectually and financially, why do so few associates seemingly lack the ambition to fully develop their career to a senior level?

Somewhat predictably over a third (34%) of associates leaving their firm stated that there was too much focus on the work element of the work/life balance. But the statistic of most concern was that a quarter (25%) of departing associates mentioned that there was no career path if you don’t want to progress to partner. This was, however, tempered somewhat by the fact that one in eight lawyers are content to stay at their current practice but not progress to partner level.

It is more and more difficult to get on the partnership promotion track which leads to disillusionment

Whilst the factors mentioned above take the profession’s internal impacts into account it is also important to consider the external impacts. The economy may have forced firms to re-evaluate how many partnership roles they make available. One associate respondent stated that “it is more and more difficult to get on the partnership promotion track which leads to disillusionment”. A magic circle partner added that career progression opportunities could be limited by “delayed retirement ages of partners as a result of increased tax”. It is not surprising that associates are deterred from reaching the top of the profession under the current tax regime – you have to work harder and harder for fewer and fewer partnership roles that endure a higher and higher tax burden.

However, to prosper in future, firms will still need associates. The key for senior management will be how to retain the best associates when there seem to be fewer and fewer attractive career options for senior associates. Bizarre as it may sound, it is crucial that employers develop career plans for their staff. This will not only enable firms to help develop existing staff but also answer questions about future career prospects from those that firms are looking to attract.

The onus is not just on the employer either. Career plan development is a two way conversation that employees need to have with their line manager. How can your line manager help you reach your career goals if you haven’t communicated your aspirations to them?

Clearly work needs to be done by both partners and associates alike to secure the future of legal private practice otherwise disillusionment will be allowed to set in. Acknowledging that legal professionals will have to do more for less reward, one associate summed up by stating that “the likelihood is that partnership will become increasingly elusive and many of the roles, formerly the preserve of partners, will be shifted onto associates”.

Get involved in the debate and have your say either by posting a comment below or visit www.future-lawyers.co.uk.