The Brief:
One in five lawyers are eyeing the door this year, with in-house roles now the hottest ticket out.
Lawyers aged 40 to 49 are the biggest flight risk, up 14 percentage points from last year.
Retention is shaping up as a real headache for firms.
This year’s Lawyers Weekly’s Legal Firm of Choice Survey has found 21% of private practice lawyers are actively on the hunt for a new job within the next 12 months.
The survey ran from 1 April to 31 May, pulling 612 responses from lawyers across the country, weighted towards private practice.
79% said they’re staying put, almost identical to last year. But the breakdown of the 21% who want to leave, and where they want to go, is a more interesting story.
Just 6% plan to jump to a rival firm while staying in private practice, down from 10% last year.
In-house is now the biggest drawcard, with 7% eyeing a move, more than double last year’s 3%.
Government (2%), starting their own practice (4%) and quitting law altogether (2%) round out the rest.
The gender split has flipped entirely. Male lawyers now edge out female lawyers on flight risk, 21% to 19%. Last year, it ran the other way — 22% for women against 17% for men. In-house is the top pick for both.
The age breakdown is interesting too.
40 to 49-year-olds are the most restless cohort this year at 27%, a 14-point spike on 2025.
18 to 29-year-olds followed at 24%.
60 to 69-year-olds sat at 21%.
30 to 39-year-olds came in at 19%.
50 to 59-year-olds reported zero intention to leave.
Location matters too. NSW lawyers are the most likely to bolt, at almost 24%. Victoria sits at 22%, Queensland at 18%.
Source: Lawyers Weekly