They’ve endured a recession, layoffs, deferments, secondments, salary freezes, and even the loss of their spring bonuses. And yet, midlevel associates at the country’s biggest law firms are happier with their jobs than they’ve been in years, according to our annual associates survey.
Having launched their careers during the Great Recession (and survived), the third-, fourth-, and fifth-year associates have come to a Zen-like, albeit caveat-laden, acceptance of firm life. “This is an amazing place to work if you’re going to work at a big law firm,” wrote an O’Melveny & Myers midlevel in response to an open-ended question on the survey. Although the endorsement may be equivocal, it is the sentiment behind O’Melveny’s rise into the top 25 on this year’s list—and the key to understanding many firms’ rise in their overall score.
