What makes a firm stand out to young lawyers?

Now in its 11th edition, the Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking is a defining feature of the Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which identifies the most sought-after private legal practices across Australia.

The latest survey was conducted from 1 April to 31 May and garnered a total of 612 responses from legal professionals currently engaged in private practice throughout the country. It recorded the attitudes, priorities, and perceptions of these practitioners, offering a valuable glimpse into the evolving landscape of the legal profession.

Last month, Lawyers Weekly also published The Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking for 2025-26, revealed which BigLaw firms are climbing in popularity and which are slipping among lawyers this year, and uncovered that more than 20 per cent of lawyers intend to leave their jobs this year.

The methodology

The annual Lawyers Weekly Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking is based on responses derived from one question within the recent Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which asked participants: “Which legal firms would you consider a move to if you ever decided to leave your current organisation?”

Respondents were able to choose up to five law firms they’d be interested in joining, and then were asked, if they had the option, to identify their top choice among those five they selected.

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From this, each answer is assigned a point. The ranking is determined by the total points, with the firm that receives the most points ranked the highest. In instances of a tie, a secondary question is used to differentiate between prospective employers.

Participants were not allowed to vote for their own firms to nullify the possibility of any firm influencing the results in its favour.

Firm choices of 18- to 39-year-old lawyers

According to the findings, the top firms that legal professionals aged 18 to 39 (comprising law students, recent graduates, junior lawyers and other professional staff) find the most attractive to work for are as follows:

10. DWF (was not named in the top 10 in 2024–25)

9. Clayton Utz (down from 3rd in 2024–25)

8. MinterEllison (down from 2nd in 2024–25)

7. Ashurst Perkins Coie (listed as Ashurst at the time the survey was conducted) (down from 4th in 2024–25)

6. Hamilton Locke (was not named in the top 10 in 2024–25)

5. Hall & Wilcox (up from 7th in 2024–25)

4. Allens (down from 1st in 2024–25)

3. Lander & Rogers (up from 9th in 2024–25)

2. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (up from 5th in 2024–25)

1. Mallesons (listed as King & Wood Mallesons at the time the survey was conducted) (up from 6th in 2024–25)

What do young lawyers care about most?

Young lawyers have sent a clear message about what matters most in the workplace, highlighting both the areas where firms are meeting expectations and where there is still room for improvement.

When it comes to what young lawyers believe their firms are getting wrong, pay and rewards topped the list.

Among lawyers aged 18 to 29, just 59 per cent rated their remuneration positively, making it the lowest-performing workplace attribute in the survey.

Dissatisfaction also remains evident, with 6 per cent describing their pay and rewards as “poor” and a further 3 per cent going as far as rating them “terrible”.

The findings mark only a modest improvement on last year’s results, when 56 per cent of respondents in the same age group viewed their remuneration positively, suggesting firms still have significant work to do.

Holistic wellbeing also emerged as an area where young lawyers believe firms have considerable room for improvement.

Among respondents aged 18 to 29, just 68 per cent rated their firm’s support for their overall wellbeing as either “excellent” or “good”.

At the other end of the spectrum, 8 per cent described their firm’s performance in this area as “poor” or “terrible”, highlighting ongoing concerns about workplace wellbeing among the profession’s youngest members.

The findings also point to a concerning decline, with positive ratings for firms’ support of holistic wellbeing among lawyers aged 18 to 29 falling from 72 per cent last year to 68 per cent, suggesting firms may be losing ground in an area that is becoming increasingly important to young legal professionals.

Recognition of individual performance also ranked among the weakest areas for firms, with many young lawyers feeling their contributions are not being adequately acknowledged.

Almost one-third (31 per cent) of lawyers aged 18 to 29 did not rate their firm’s performance positively in this area, while 12 per cent went further, describing it as either “poor” or “terrible”.

The results also suggest firms are losing ground, with positive ratings for recognising individual performance falling from 72 per cent last year to 69 per cent, highlighting a growing disconnect between what young lawyers expect and what they believe their employers are delivering.

While remuneration, wellbeing and recognition emerged as areas of concern, workplace culture stood out as the area where firms are getting it right.

Among lawyers aged 18 to 29, eighty-three per cent rated their firm’s culture as either “excellent” or “good”, making it the highest-performing workplace attribute in the survey.

At the other end of the scale, just 10 per cent of young lawyers rated their firm’s workplace culture as “poor” or “terrible”, underscoring the strong value many firms are delivering in fostering a positive working environment.

What do firms need to do?

As young lawyers redefine what they value most from their workplaces, the question now becomes: what must firms do to truly listen, adapt and create environments that attract, retain and develop the next generation of legal leaders?

Alison Crowther, partner at Empire Group, stressed that the firms that succeed in attracting young lawyers will be those that go beyond offering competitive salaries and instead build cultures where lawyers feel “valued, supported and recognised” for the impact they make.

While remuneration remains an important factor in career decisions, Crowther said financial incentives alone are no longer enough to secure long-term engagement and loyalty, with younger lawyers increasingly prioritising recognition, wellbeing, flexibility and transparent pathways for progression.

“Young lawyers are looking for not only a competitive salary – they want to feel valued, supported, and recognised for their contributions. It is all about the money for them,” Crowther said.

“While remuneration remains important, wellbeing and genuine recognition often have an even greater impact on engagement and retention. Everyone wants to feel seen and heard.

“Firms that invest in flexible working arrangements, mental health support, clearly documented career pathways, and regular performance feedback are more likely to attract and retain talent.”

She pointed out that young lawyers are increasingly choosing to stay with firms that prioritise a holistic workplace culture, with employers that foster transparency, purpose, and recognition seeing stronger retention and fewer professionals looking to make a move.

“We rarely interview candidates who are working with transparency, purpose, and a workplace culture that acknowledges individual achievements; those candidates are more content in their current roles,” Crowther said.

As a result, Crowther said the firms best positioned for future success will be those that recognise retaining top talent requires more than financial incentives – it requires creating environments where people feel connected, supported and able to achieve their professional ambitions.

“Firms that honestly balance commercial expectations with employee wellbeing will be best positioned to develop high-performing and loyal legal teams for the future,” Crowther said.

G2 Legal’s director for Australia, Daniel Stirling, agreed that the expectations of junior lawyers have shifted significantly in recent years, with changes in the legal market and the rise of flexible working following the COVID-19 pandemic reshaping what young professionals now seek from their employers.

“We have seen changes in what junior lawyers value most about their employer in the last few years. This is because the legal market has been very busy and profitable, and most lawyers have experienced greater flexibility and independence since the COVID period,” Stirling said.

However, he emphasised that remuneration continues to play a significant role in career decisions, with lawyers increasingly scrutinising whether their compensation aligns with the intensity of their workload, the responsibilities they carry and the contribution they make to their firm.

“To cover the specific key areas listed, firstly, remuneration has always been an important factor in choosing whether to stay in a job or leave,” Stirling said.

“Lawyers are aware that some firms have given large increases in the last few years and, given everyone is working long hours, want to ensure they are being fairly remunerated for all their hard work.”

Beyond salary, Stirling said wellbeing has emerged as one of the most significant factors shaping career decisions, with younger lawyers increasingly seeking workplaces that provide flexibility, sustainable workloads and genuine support.

“Wellbeing is more in the spotlight given the much publicised mental health challenges in the industry and the fact that lawyers have experienced more flexibility in their early careers than previous generations,” Stirling said.

“They see great benefits in hybrid working and also seek some level of work/life balance. This has caused lawyers to either seek a new challenge such as working in-house or more flexibility within new employers generally.”