To conclude our series on corporate benevolence, the final section takes a closer look at benevolence in law firms. The profession is particularly hard hit by the disengagement of its youngest recruits. Focus on a disease that is eating away at the profession.
” We are an extremely difficult profession “. These are the words of bâtonnière Marie-Aimée Peyron, reacting to one of the many press articles on the profession’s malaise.
This statement highlights the difficulty of providing a clear response to the disengagement of young lawyers. On the one hand, a phenomenon of growing disengagement that worries all those involved in the profession. On the other hand, an equally undeniable reality for these players: the legal profession is tough. And it didn’t become so by force of circumstance. He always has been. Faced with this seemingly insoluble problem, the notion of benevolence is perhaps one of the keys to the future of the lawyer.
ALONE IN THE WORLD
Professional disengagement is a particularly palpable trend in the legal profession. The figures are indisputable: 30% of young lawyers quit their profession before ten years. This percentage rises to 40% for female lawyers. Several factors are involved:
– Saturation of the lawyers’ market, leading to increased competition between new entrants.
– Financial insecurity is always a problem for young employees.
– A difficult balance between professional and private life, especially when it comes to the thorny issue of parenthood.
– This lack of recognition is particularly hard on young lawyers.
As far as the first three points are concerned, each would merit its own article, given the complexity of these issues within the liberal professions. For this article on benevolence, it’s the last point that interests us.
” In the early years of an employee’s life, there’s a lot of demand but little recognition. It gives the impression of being an executor, a “paper-pusher”. “
” I was under a lot of stress and often had a lump in my stomach when I arrived at the surgery. I only felt good when I went to the courthouse. I was regaining my freedom. “
” Lawyers have lost all humanity. They want to crush you! “
These three testimonials from retrained associates, relayed in the press (“Quitter la robe : l’étonnante épidémie de reconversion des jeunes avocats.”, Maroussia Wosiak, Slate, April 13, 2018) brings a first element of response for law firms. Over and above practical considerations (remuneration and working hours in particular), the relationship between new entrants and partners is one of the factors contributing to young lawyers’ malaise.
The Haeri report of February 2017 already pointed out the professional loneliness that affects many new entrants and the share of responsibility of certain managements.
” The profession is learned through a form of companionship, and in many respects, it’s the partner who has to perform this function. The lack of time and attention, and the lesser aptitude (or interest) of some colleagues for supervision and management, lead to situations of great loneliness among young colleagues. This solitude is not exclusive to any particular type of professional practice. It is nothing more than the consequence of the unavailability of the lawyer who took on the responsibility of hiring his young colleague. “
To remedy the situation, the report recommended the creation of a “corps of godparents”, based on volunteers, who would embody ” a supplementary confidant, a benevolent gaze, an availability “. Almost two years on, it has to be said that there have been few initiatives on this issue. This lack of initiatives is all the more surprising in a context of growing societal commitment among lawyers in favor of parity, diversity and professional ethics.
A VOCATION AS A LAWYER
The lack of initiative is probably due to the absence of a global solution. So far, the “intergenerational” recipe has not been found. The “who” question is the first hurdle.
Who should react? The CNB? The bars? Cabinets? At present, it is the professional associations that seem to be the most sensitive to this issue. But apart from sounding the alarm or punishing serious misconduct, they can’t (and don’t want to) “impose” better supervision of employees.
It’s up to the firms to get to grips with the issue. The size, nature and field of intervention of the firm are variables that will obviously impact the answer.
But it is possible to make a few general recommendations:
Overcoming generational boundaries. On the one hand, young people who don’t dare express themselves to associates, for fear of judgment. On the other, associates who may be well-intentioned, but are at a loss when it comes to dealing with millennials. In reality, these barriers are superficial and are maintained by names that please no one. An associate is not just a “senior”, and a collaborator is not just a “millennial”. It’s up to each individual to learn to see beyond age.
Take the time to get interested. Benevolence is rightly rooted in the verb “to watch over”. You don’t need to organize a multitude of formal meetings or grandiose extra-professional events to become benevolent. All you have to do is take an interest (and don’t pretend to) in the people who work around you. A sound basis for building trust.
Remember that being a lawyer is a vocation. Perhaps the most important aspect of caring in the practice. Like doctors, journalists or professors, no one becomes a lawyer “by chance”. For most, the practice of law is a vocation. This is what enables lawyers to withstand the pressure. Take that “sacred fire” away from them, and they can’t stand it. And that’s exactly what’s affecting lawyers today. It’s not so much the heaviness of the work that breaks it down, it’s its lack of meaning.
This is our final piece of advice: nurture this “sacred fire”, give value to the vocation, and your teams will thank you with tenfold commitment.
Further information
“Quitter la robe: l’étonnante épidémie de reconversion des jeunes avocats”, Slate
THE FUTURE OF THE LAWYER’S PROFESSION, Report by Kami Haeri
WELL-BEING TOOLKIT FOR LAWYERS AND LEGAL EMPLOYERS, Americanbar.org by Anne M. Brafford
