As an adjunct legal professor, I’m fortunate to get to spend time with law students. They are smart, hardworking, and ready to make valuable contributions to the legal profession. And they’re different from lawyers of previous generations.
Not long ago, I met with a third-year associate. She was sharp, driven, and the kind of talent any firm would want to build around. But she was walking away from BigLaw. "It wasn’t the work," she told me. "It was the culture. I felt like a cog. Disposable. Replaceable."
She’s not an outlier. She’s part of a movement. If you don’t believe me go check out r/lawyertalk or any of a half dozen or so lawyer subreddit communities.
We’re at a tipping point in the legal profession. Demand for legal services is growing, senior lawyers are aging out, and younger lawyers are choosing purpose over prestige. Meanwhile, firms across the country are struggling to recruit, retain, and engage the very people they need to lead their future.
Are we building firms that lawyers want to join and grow in or firms they want to escape?
This is especially critical to ask at a time when the competition for talent is greater than the competition for clients.
What the Trends Mean for Law Firms
- Retirements are accelerating. Nearly 14% of lawyers are over 65. The leadership and institutional knowledge gaps are real.
- The next generation of lawyers is selective. They’re not just chasing titles or paychecks. They want mentorship, flexibility, transparency, and belonging.
- Attrition is expensive. Losing a midlevel associate can cost a firm up to $500,000 in recruiting, onboarding, and lost productivity.
This isn’t about being "soft." It’s about being strategic. We can’t afford to ignore the shifting landscape.
The Solution: Unreasonable Hospitality
Will Guidara, the former restaurateur who helped make Eleven Madison Park the best restaurant in the world, didn’t do it by serving better food. He did it by delivering what he called "unreasonable hospitality."
That means going beyond expectation to make people feel seen, heard, and valued.
And that’s the point we often miss: hospitality isn’t about perks. It’s about how you make people feel.
People remember how you made them feel when they walked in on day one. When they hit a tough stretch. When they nailed a closing argument or are struggling in some way.
Are we making them feel important? Or are we making them feel invisible?
Because feelings shape culture. And culture shapes retention.
Why Young Lawyers Gravitate Toward Values-Driven Firms
Younger lawyers have grown up in a world that’s less stable and more transparent. They’ve seen companies rise and fall. They value authenticity. And they crave meaning.
That’s why they’re drawn to firms with strong, lived values and not just polished mission statements on a website.
They want to know:
- Do we treat people with respect at every level?
- Do we actually live out our values when no one's watching?
- Are we building something bigger than just profit?
Values-driven firms send a powerful message: You belong here. Your work matters. We care about who you are, not just what you bill.
When that message is real, it resonates.
How Unreasonable Hospitality Translates to Law Firms
Let me break this down into real, actionable steps you can take inside your firm:
1. Make Onboarding a Signature Experience
- Ditch the "here’s your computer, now get billing" vibe.
- Handwrite welcome notes. Pair new hires with a peer mentor. Take them to lunch on their first day.
- Orientation is critical. And it is especially important to younger lawyers who have experienced it since kindergarten.
2. Give Feedback That Feels Human
- Instead of cold annual reviews, implement regular check-ins.
- Focus on growth, not just hours.
- Be transparent. Transparency builds trust.
3. Invest in Career Design
- Ask your associates: What kind of lawyer do you want to be?
- Then build development plans with them, not for them.
- Ask them what they want their next job to be.
4. Support the Whole Lawyer
- Provide mental health resources, wellness stipends, and real PTO.
- Create boundaries and model them. No one thrives under 2 a.m. emails.
5. Create Culture Moments And Live Your Values
- Celebrate birthdays, wins, and work anniversaries.
- Host firm events that don’t involve alcohol.
6. Mentorship That Goes Both Ways
- Facilitate cross-generational mentoring.
- Let younger lawyers share their perspectives on tech, culture, and innovation.
7. Share the Vision
- Be transparent about firm goals.
- Invite associates into real conversations about strategy and growth.
Why This Works
Because the next generation of lawyers isn’t just asking, "What will I earn?"
They’re asking, "Will I matter?"
Unreasonable hospitality isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about small, intentional acts repeated consistently.
It’s about saying: You’re not just here to bill. You’re here to belong.
And that mindset, when adopted across a firm, becomes your competitive edge.
Final Thought: This is Leadership
We are the stewards of our firms.
And stewardship isn’t just about clients or growth. It’s about people.
It’s about making the decision, every day, to build firms that people want to be a part of.
You don’t have to overhaul everything. Start with one conversation. One gesture. One note. One hire.
But start.
And you will need to focus marketing efforts on recruiting. You will want your firm to be the magnet for talent. Making this happen goes well beyond compensation.
The future of your firm depends on it. The firms that are able to recruit, retain, and promote talent are the ones that will win the future of law.
