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Law is a career of purpose for 99% of legal professionals
The overwhelming majority of legal professionals feel a sense of purpose in their work, according to new research from Thomson Reuters (TR).
Lauren Croft
As employers across the profession battle the Great Resignation, feeling a sense of purpose in a role is important for attracting and retaining staff. And according to the results of a new survey by Thomson Reuters, Finding purpose and having a social impact: Lawyers & tax professionals speak out, the vast majority of legal professionals across the globe feel their work gives them professional purpose.
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For the new research, TR surveyed thousands of legal professionals around the world to find out if their work provides them with a sense of professional purpose and whether they feel their work has a broader impact on their community and society at large.
Ninety-nine per cent of legal professionals said their work provides them with a strong sense of purpose and cited a number of reasons why a legal career brings them “a sense contributing to the larger social good”, including job and wealth creation, enabling an orderly society, sharing knowledge and having a direct impact on society.
The attorneys surveyed were from more than 60 countries and represented a broad range of practices. The survey questions were open-ended, so in addition to statistical data, written survey responses offer a “unique anecdotal account of legal and accounting work from the perspective of leaders in both professions”, according to TR.
For example, one law firm attorney noted that she found a sense of purpose in her work by helping her clients succeed, which in turn benefited the general public and society as a whole.
“My work promotes justice and the rule of law. Through both commercial and pro bono work, I help foster a common understanding that rights can be protected, and grievances addressed in a fair and impartial manner,” she wrote.
In terms of making a direct impact on society, respondents cited their role in helping clients and companies succeed in their local community. Forty-eight per cent of legal professionals said that for them, being able to enable a civilized and orderly society was the number one reason they felt purpose in their role.
“Interestingly, there were other more specific attributes of this category cited by respondents, including working for companies that themselves contribute to society by their operations in industries like healthcare, education, energy, infrastructure, or communications,” the report noted.
“Also, playing a role in creating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives for their companies and clients was a strong factor that contributed to respondents’ making a strong contribution to the larger social good. Further, the freedom to pursue volunteer or charitable work in the context of their job also was a positive social impact factor.
“Similarly, the category of enabling a civilized and orderly society, respondents noted their role in ensuring their clients and their companies behave in an ethically and legally responsible way, that includes, for example, complying with corporate and individual tax regulations and building and maintaining trust in the rule of law that governs society. Other factors cited by respondents in this category include playing a role in providing effective leadership and engaging in peaceful dispute resolution.”
