Junior lawyers at US firms in London face 70-hour working weeks
updated on 06 November 2024
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Trainee and junior solicitors at US law firms in London are facing intense work schedules, with some exceeding 70 hours a week and often finishing after 10:30pm. US law firms occupy the top 11 spots on the hours table, according to a new survey by Legal Cheek.
The anonymous survey of 2,000 trainees and junior lawyers at more than 100 law firms with offices in the UK found that the demanding hours are most prevalent at US law firms, with Weil, Gotshal and Manges (London) LLP taking the lead. Junior lawyers at the New York-headquartered law firm, who are paid over £170,000 as a starting salary, reported working an average of 67.5 hours over a five-day week, with additional weekend work pushing their total to more than 70 hours.
Meanwhile, Linklaters LLP was the highest-ranking UK firm, with junior lawyers working over 60 hours a week on average. The disparity between working hours at US and UK law firms also extends to billing targets, with US firms expecting at least 2,000 billable hours annually compared to 1,800 at top UK firms.
Despite high salaries, the demanding work environment is taking a toll on junior lawyers, with many reporting routinely finishing their days after 10:30pm and struggling with an ‘always available’ culture. One junior solicitor mentioned not seeing sunlight for three months.
However, not all law firms impose such long hours. Many corporate lawyers finish their workdays by 5:30pm, with 14 law firms reporting end times before 6:00pm. For instance, junior lawyers at Trowers and Hamlins LLP reported a more manageable 46-hour work week, although this is still above the UK average of 36.6 hours.
This intense work culture is driving pay inflation, with law firms such as Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP offering £180,000 to newly qualified solicitors, £30,000 more than magic circle firms. Among the magic circle, Slaughter and May had the shortest average work week at slightly more than 51 hours on average over five days, compared to 56.5 hours at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.
The findings of the survey underscore the significant demands placed on young lawyers at US firms in London, who are compensated with high salaries but at the cost of long and often unsociable hours.
Find out more about work/life balance in the legal profession and what legal employers are doing about it.
