Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAVEAT COUNSELOR: Study Says Work/Life In-House Can Be Just Like Law Firms
Washington, D.C., April 25, 2003 — Attorneys who are seeking to balance their lives and work by switching from law firms to corporate law departments had better do their research, warns the Project for Attorney Retention (PAR) in its latest report.
Both male and female attorneys who have moved in-house cite a desire to have shorter hours or a less stressful pace of work as among the reasons for making the move. Some have found exactly what they were looking for, either by working a full-time schedule that averages 45-50 hours per week, or by taking advantage of alternative work arrangements such as part-time, compressed time, telecommuting, or job sharing. Others have found, however, that work hours, travel requirements, and stress in-house are just as intense as in a law firm — but with a smaller paycheck and fewer advancement opportunities — and that alternative work arrangements are blatantly discouraged.
"One encouraging finding of our study is that you can find a good in-house legal job at close to 40 hours a week if you look for it carefully," said Joan Williams, Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law and Co-Director of PAR. "In contrast, another major finding of our study is disturbing — part-time work in-house often is dramatically stigmatized, even more so than in many law firms." PAR's report cites examples of part-time stigma reported by in-house counsel, including ineligibility for promotion, disproportionate reduction of bonus, vulnerability to lay-offs, 'dog' work assignments, and loss of colleagues' respect.
PAR's study also includes a finding that dispels a myth held by many law firm partners, which is that their clients will not stand for part-time work in law firms. Overwhelmingly, the in-house counsel interviewed by PAR stated they would not object to working with part-time outside counsel. Many expressed support for part-time work at law firms as a way to reduce turnover and stabilize relationships with their attorneys. Others said it would not change the way they work with their outside counsel because even full-time law firm attorneys are rarely available to one client all the time, so there is little practical difference to them whether a law firm attorney works full-time or part-time.
These findings are discussed in PAR's Interim Report on its Corporate Counsel Project. PAR previously studied part-time work in law firms, and issued a report that contained best practices recommendations as well as its findings. PAR is an initiative of the Program on Gender, Work & Family of American University Washington College of Law, and is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. PAR expects to issue a final report, which will discuss these and other findings in depth and provide best practices recommendations and a model policy. More information about PAR, and its Interim Report, are available at www.attorneyretention.org.
# # #
