Most lawyers are familiar with the catch-all term “firm culture,” and the related term “collegial work environment.” These phrases, which appear in nearly every firm’s marketing materials, are used to convey that attorneys at that firm are happy. Individuals within firms, however, can often have vastly different perceptions of their work environment depending on a variety of factors, including the individual’s own personality, the geographic location of the firm, the size of the firm, and the dynamic of a particular department or practice group, among many other factors. Given these variances, what does the term “firm culture” mean in practicality?

The term “culture” refers generally to the shared values, practices, and beliefs held by a group of individuals in society. Business organizations similarly have certain shared values, practices, and beliefs, which manifest in two separate but interconnected ways: first, the express policies and expectations conveyed by the partnership; and second, the subjective execution of unwritten shared values by individuals with power to set expectations.

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