Law firms are notorious for having high expectations when it comes to the output of their fee earners – for juniors in particular working late nights and weekends in the office is de rigueur in order to meet the ambitious chargeable-hours target set by many firms.
This long-hours culture is by no means a new phenomenon, but the potential risks for those firms that continue to permit its perpetuation are changing, and managers of firms – of all sizes – now need to assess how they seek to achieve that elusive, work-life balance for those in their formative years in the profession.
