If
you’ve
ever
wondered
why
Biglaw
associates
lament
their
lack
of
work-life
balance,
it
could
be
because
they’re
regularly
working
“grueling”
shifts
at
their
firms.
What
kind
of
hours
are
we
talking
here?
According
to
a
new
study
conducted
by
Legal
Cheek,
on
average,
these
lawyers
are
working
more
than
11
hours
per
day.
But
which
firms
are
working
their
lawyers
the
hardest?
To
find
the
answer,
Legal
Cheek
surveyed
more
than
2,000
trainees
and
junior
lawyers
across
the
UK’s
top
100+
firms.
Here’s
what
they
found:
US
powerhouses
still
dominate
the
table
for
the
longest
average
working
days.
At
the
very
top,
junior
lawyers
report
clocking
around
13
hours
a
day
—
often
leaving
the
office
after
10:00
pm.
These
late
nights
don’t
go
unrewarded:
newly
qualified
salaries
at
these
top
firms
have
surged
to
a
record-breaking
£180,000
[~$243,000]
over
the
past
year
or
so.Hot
on
the
heels
of
the
City’s
US
players,
the
Magic
Circle
sees
average
desk
time
hover
between
10
and
11
hours
a
day,
with
NQ
salaries
coming
in
just
below
their
US
counterparts
at
a
still
impressive
£150,000
[$~202,000].
Much
like
what
happens
here
in
the
US,
Biglaw
associates
are
really
working
themselves
to
the
bone
across
the
pond.
“We
are
constantly
on
call
and
we
cannot
leave
our
phones
at
home
for
more
than
20
minutes,”
said
one
associate.
“I
have
had
partners
calling
me
when
I
am
in
bed
for
redlines
and
have
been
bombarded
with
emails
even
when
ill.”
So,
with
that
not-so
rosy
picture
having
been
painted,
which
white-shoe
firms
have
associates
working
the
longest
days,
on
average?
Here
are
the
top
10,
where
some
associates
are
regularly
leaving
the
office
after
9
or
10
p.m.:
-
Milbank:
13
hours
3
minutes -
Kirkland
&
Ellis:
12
hours
17
minutes -
Winston
&
Strawn:
12
hours
13
minutes -
Weil
Gotshal:
12
hours
1
minute -
Paul
Weiss:
12
hours
0
minutes -
Linklaters:
11
hours
57
minutes -
Fried
Frank:
11
hours
51
minutes -
Clifford
Chance
/
Jones
Day:
11
hours
49
minutes -
Gibson
Dunn:
11
hours
48
minutes -
Paul
Hastings:
11
hours
47
minutes
Click
here
to
see
the
full
list.
While
some
firms
have
more
manageable
hours,
with
lawyers
signing
off
from
work
around
5
or
6
p.m.,
the
overall
drain
on
attorneys’
lives
outside
the
office
is
still
incredible.
Thankfully,
Biglaw
firms
are
taking
mental
health
concerns
more
seriously
than
they
have
in
the
past,
so
we
hope
that
with
these
long
hours,
they’re
doing
all
they
can
to
prevent
associate
burnout.
Exclusive
research
spotlights
working
hours
of
junior
lawyers
across
UK’s
100+
top
law
firms
[Legal
Cheek]
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.