DIVERSITY NEWS
BY JINA LEE
ADAPTING TO A CHANGING LEGAL LANDSCAPE: GENERATION Y ATTORNEYS
46
THE LAW FIRM IS ONE OF THE LAST BAS- TIONS OF THE TRADITIONAL WORK- PLACE, and arguably diametrically opposed to many of Generation Y’s values and work habits. Legal practice has enjoyed a rich tradition, valuing a clear hierarchical structure and the notion of “paying one’s dues,” while the Generation Y workforce emphasizes innovation, individu- alized goals and ambitions, and fl exible work schedules. Generation Y attorneys are often criticized for entitled attitudes and “lazy” work ethics. T e truth is, however, Generation Y employees are passionate and require job fulfi llment. Unlike their Baby Boomer, and even Generation X predecessors, they should be approached and managed diff erently in order to reach their full potential. Gen Y, also known
as the Millennial Gen- eration, comprises a rapidly increasing percentage of both the law fi rm workforce and client base. Gen Y employees are social, interactive, and value diversity. In fact, Gen Y is the most ethnically diverse generation to date. For most Gen Y attorneys, one in three classmates has been of a diff erent racial, cultural, or ethnic back- ground. Women now comprise a larger part of the Gen Y attorney population than men. T ese lawyers are collab- orative and more accepting of non-traditional methods of problem solving and analysis than attorneys of prior gen- erations. However, they are also quicker to question the establishment, demand personalized work schedules, and challenge the traditional criteria for measuring success and achievement. So what is a Baby Boomer boss to do? As law fi rms become more dependent on recruiting a younger workforce, the proper assimilation of Gen Y attorneys is of paramount importance.
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
THREE CLASSMATES HAS BEEN OF A DIFFERENT RACIAL, CULTURAL, OR ETHNIC BACKGROUND.
ATTORNEYS, ONE IN FOR MOST GEN Y
STRUCTURED TRAINING While Gen Y attorneys love to take charge and determine the unique “fl avor” of their legal careers, it is indisputable that they also crave structure, discipline, and training at the most basic level. Gen Y attorneys are extremely sophis- ticated when it comes to technology and social media networking. As a result, managers of Gen Y attorneys tend to be highly impressed with their lightning-speed research capabilities and general technological ability. However, many managers neglect to consider that the high-tech savvy of this generation often masks their lack of practical skills in other important areas. For example, Gen Y attorneys lack experience in the art of old-fashioned commu- nication, practical know- how, and the discipline of elegant brief-writing. T us, an excellent place to start assimilating Gen Y attor- neys into more traditional law fi rm settings is to focus
on providing the requisite structure, training, and feedback that Gen Y attorneys crave and need to succeed.
CONVENIENCE AND FLEXIBILITY Millennial attorneys are more likely to reject the traditional work-life schedules off ered by law fi rms than lawyers of prior generations. Female attorneys with children in particular feel they are entitled to fl exible schedules, as do their male coun- terparts, who are increasingly taking on greater child care responsibilities. Gen Y attorneys do not necessarily expect to work fewer hours or expend less eff ort than their Generation X or Baby Boomer counterparts, but managers would do well to consider that Gen Y attorneys seek convenience and fl ex- ibility regarding their schedules. T is may involve the desire to telecommute, or to work a schedule less conventional than what has historically been the norm at most law fi rms.
MCCA.COM
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