Read the Top 5 Insights for Early Career Lawyers

In a legal world that is ever changing, one thing is always certain: Newly minted lawyers join the workforce every year, looking to make their mark (and partner). Below are Bloomberg Law’s top Insights of 2025 that offer guidance on why those billable hours matter, how to stand out from other job candidates, and whether you should consider leaving Big Law for a boutique.

Big Law’s 2,400 Hours Bar Isn’t New. It’s the Path to Partnership. King & Spalding requires its associates to log 2,400 “productive” hours per year. The reaction to this in part reflects a change in perception of what’s required to make partner since the pandemic, Kinney Recruiting’s Jessica Chin Somers wrote in September. Read More

Curiosity Beats Credentials When Advancing Law Firm Interviews. Most lawyers think interviews are about proving they’re qualified. They talk about their credentials, goals, and reasons for moving. But what partners really want to see is how a lawyer would work with them, Emma Larson of Freshwater Counsel wrote in December. Read More

The Human Touch Lawyers Need to Succeed in an AI-Driven World. While artificial intelligence can enhance efficiency in tasks such as drafting and research, the true differentiator for future legal excellence will be human skills. Steve D’Amore of Winston & Strawn and Matt Eventoff of PrincetonComms wrote this in November. Read More

Why Gen Z, Millennial Lawyers Are Leaving Big Law for Small Firms. Making this career transition, especially if you’re quite junior, possibly means you can’t move back to Big Law later in your career, but this consideration is generally met with indifference for these associates. What’s behind this exodus? Major, Lindsey & Africa’s Kate Reder Sheikh wrote about the key trends in August. Read More

Here’s What You Need to Do to Stay on the Partnership Track. Partnership isn’t about waiting for a promotion. It’s about showing, through actions and measurable results, that a lawyer already thinks and acts like an owner, Megan Senese of stage and Emma Larson of Freshwater Counsel wrote in October. Read More

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax, and Bloomberg Government, or its owners.

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