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Law firms and the legal profession are facing new uncertainties, shifting the stress levels, economic pressures, and overall contentment of lawyers in private practice, according to the 2025 °µÍø½ûÇø Pulse Lawyer Satisfaction Survey. And with those rising concerns come new questions for lawyers and law firms in a profession already well known for its pressure-cooker approach to work.
Overall job satisfaction has dropped to its lowest level in the five-year history of the survey, with 61% of lawyers reporting they are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs — a five-point drop from last year. Satisfaction with billable hours, advancement opportunities, and collegiality also hit record lows​.
And for the first time in the history of the survey, a majority of attorneys said they feel stressed most or all of the time, a significant increase from the 38% of respondents who said the same just one year ago. Nonequity partners and women across all roles at a typical law firm reported the highest stress levels.
Less than half of respondents said they now consider their financial stability "excellent," a drop from earlier years. Associates and nonequity partners in particular are feeling the pinch, while equity partners remain comparatively confident​.
Almost a quarter of respondents say they are likely or very likely to seek new employment at another firm in the next year, the highest level since the survey began​.
Check out our analysis of these and other findings in the coverage below.
How Happy Are Attorneys At Work Now?
In a time of rising uncertainty and stress, there are signs that spirits are sagging in the legal profession compared with recent years, according to a new °µÍø½ûÇø Pulse survey.Lawyers Worry About Financial Stability Of Their Careers
In 2025, even lawyers are feeling anxious about their bottom lines: Only 44% of attorneys described their financial stability as "excellent" in a recent °µÍø½ûÇø Pulse survey.What Attorneys Really Think About Their Profession
°µÍø½ûÇø Pulse asked respondents to our Lawyer Satisfaction Survey for their thoughts on misconceptions about being a lawyer, what the best parts of the job are and what they would tell newer lawyers. Here's what they said.For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.
