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Happier lawyers, stronger firms: many lawyers are just saying 'no' to crushing workloads and 24/7 availability. And some law firms are taking innovative steps to prevent good lawyers from leaving.

Article Excerpt
The Project for Attorney Retention (PAR)--an initiative of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California-Hastings College of the Law--began in 2000 with a grant to study part-time work at law firms in Washington, D.C. Since its 2001 report on that study, Balanced Hours, PAR has developed a set of best practices for law firms that want to offer more flexible hours and help their attorneys achieve better work/life balance.

PAR's best practices have been incorporated into law firms of all sizes across the country, and the organization continues its cutting-edge research into the causes of-and solutions for--lawyer unhappiness with their profession. JOAN C. WILLIAMS, a professor of law at Hastings and the co-director of PAR, talked with TRIAL Associate Editor CARMEL SILEO about the problem of attorney retention and what PAR is doing about it.

TRIAL: The attrition rate among attorneys has gotten a lot of attention recently. Is this just media hype or is it a real problem?

Williams: It is a real problem. Lawyers currently have twice the attrition rate of other professions, according to a recent law journal article. The attrition is especially high among young lawyers.

Let me give you an example. I have been analyzing the data from a survey of New Jersey lawyers. What I'm seeing is that a huge percentage of lawyers changed firms within one to three years of being hired. Not only is that a sign of dissatisfaction, it's bad news for the firms. Firms never recouped their initial investments in many of these hires.

TRIAL: Are these lawyers leaving for different firms or are they leaving the profession entirely?

Williams: Well, I can't cross-tabulate the numbers that way, but generally, when a lawyer leaves within one to three years, it's to a different firm.

TRIAL: Is it true that women are leaving the profession at a faster rate than men?

Williams: Long-term studies show that only a small percentage leave the law forever, but they are more likely to leave large law firms, and they are also considerably more likely to join small firms of between one and five lawyers.

TRIAL: What is it about...