John Langan, chair, and Lizz Acee, managing director of Barclay Damon’s major market offices, were featured in the New York Law Journal article “Are Gen Z Attorneys Jumping Law Firms Too Much? Likely Not.” The article challenges the perception that Gen Z attorneys are more prone to firm hopping than prior generations, finding instead that junior associates from Gen Z are, so far, staying at their first firms longer than late-stage Millennials. Citing data from SurePoint Legal Insights, the article reports that 62 percent of entry-level associates hired between 2020 and 2025 either remain at their original firm or stayed at least three years—compared to 52 percent of associates hired between 2015 and 2020.
John told the New York Law Journal that while lateral movement is a longstanding feature of the legal profession, intentional integration and mentorship play a critical role in retention. “There has to be a certain amount of recruitment in order to survive because there’s normal attrition, people are retiring, and Gen Z-ers are bouncing every three years,” John said, noting that recruiting remains essential for firms seeking to maintain or grow their platforms. He continued, “Even a good firm’s gonna have a little bit of attrition. So, if a firm says, ‘I’m OK getting smaller,’ then they cannot do any recruiting. But if they’re interested in staying the same size or doing anything else, particularly with the boomers retiring, it’s got to be a part of everyone’s program.”
The article also highlights the importance of firm culture and collaboration in retaining younger attorneys, particularly laterals. Lizz emphasized the firm’s collaborative approach to recruitment and retention of young laterals: “We talk to a lot of people who come from firms, and they tell us, ‘It’s so siloed, I cannot get the attention of my partners in order to expand the relationships with my clients.’ That doesn’t happen here,” she said. “We truly, as partners, treat one another as internal clients.”
New York Law Journal subscribers can read the full article here.