Prologue

• Library: Accelerating Lawyer Success: How to Make Partner, Stay Healthy, and Flourish in a Law Firm (ABA) (2015 Ed.)

Young lawyers are entering the workforce in droves, with many beginning their careers at law-firms. A longitudinal research project, "After the JD," tracked the careers of American law students graduating in 2013. Of the lawyers who responded to that survey, 51.1% launched their careers in private practice.¹ Of these, nearly a third began work in firms with 100 or more lawyers.² As a result, many of our country's new lawyers find themselves striving for success in the law-firm setting. But what does success look like for them? And what characteristics or skills will help them thrive in their firms?

Over the past six years, we have surveyed, interviewed, and collected performance and promotion data on more than 500 lawyers to learn the answer to these questions—and many others. We asked law-firm lawyers if they are flourishing at work, how quickly they were promoted, how many hours they billed in a year, how they think about and approach their work, and how they interact with others in the workplace.

Much of what we learned was not surprising. Young lawyers work a lot, and they work hard; firm life can be political; building relationships with the right people helps you get ahead; and planning is a good strategy both in the long and short term. But we also learned things that surprised us, and may surprise you. For example, billable hours aren't always what they're cracked up to be—and don't necessarily lead to...