Law firms are growing more generationally diverse every year. As more lawyers delay retirement until their 70s, baby boomers continue to represent a significant portion of the senior partnership at many major law firms. At the same time, the average age of law school graduates is 27, meaning that many junior associates today are millennials or members of Generation Z. The differences between these generations are too broad to be covered in this piece, but it suffices for present purposes to note that the individuals with the largest books of business at law firms often have very different outlooks on best workplace practices than the people carrying out the lion’s share of the first-line work, who play an important role in realizing that business.

Middle managers—junior partners, counsel and senior associates—are increasingly called on to bridge these gaps. And they are stuck in what seems to be an impossible situation. Generally speaking, more senior generations bemoan attributes of the younger generation—such as being high maintenance and unwilling to just put their heads down and work as hard as needed, in the office, to get the job done. Junior attorneys, by contrast, want meaningful opportunities for professional development early in their careers and expect work-life balance and workplace flexibility at the outset.

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