Work/Life Balance – A Generational Divide Among Lawyers?

Yesterday, I moderated a San Diego County Bar Association Roundtable Discussion on Generational Divide in the legal community. Interesting discussion with three veteran attorneys (Radmila Fulton, Thomas Warwick and me) and three young attorneys (Jeremy Evans, Hali Anderson and Anton Vialtsin) which will be reported in the Nov/Dec edition of San Diego Lawyer. Work/Life balance was a major topic of discussion, and a clear point of difference – but, not necessarily division – between the veteran and the emerging attorneys.

A newly published study on Integrating Work and Life (http://bit.ly/1LnWVkG) validates much of what was discussed yesterday on this topic. Young professionals, both men and women, are no longer focused only on career trajectory – they want “rich, multidimensional lives”. And companies, including law firms, can no longer afford to ignore or minimize this desire for multidimensional lives or invest in it solely as a “woman’s issue.” Both men and women, including lawyers, will be choosing educational and career paths that enable them to be successful in work and in life.

Law firms would do well to acknowledge and embrace this new reality!