Three months into 2015, firm leaders' confidence in the legal industry and the economy in general has receded, a recent survey of managing partners found—and managing partners in New Jersey agree that the future remains murky.

“A lot of firms take it year by year,” said John Fanburg, managing partner of Brach Eichler, adding that facing down a new year—even after a revenue-positive 2014—is daunting.

For the Roseland-based firm, 2014 “was positive for us, but here we are in 2015, and whether we do the same, worse or better, remains to be seen,” he said. “When we start January, we take a deep breath and say, 'We've got to do it all over again.'”