Firm-wide metrics make great headlines. Latham & Watkins is number one by gross revenue, Fragomen tops the rankings for diversity, and so on. When considering the career satisfaction of individual attorneys, however, it matters less what firm you are at, and more at what practice area within the firm you reside.

As a burgeoning Big Law associate, the idea of choosing the one practice area right for you for the rest of your life can rightfully seem like finding a needle in a haystack. A majority of new hires will move firms or switch careers within the first few years, but moving out of your original practice area and into a new field can often be daunting.

Write-in responses to the 2017 Midlevel Associate Survey from mid-level associates reveal some of the consequences.