Stat(s) Of The Year: ATL 2025 Data Roundup – Above the Law

As
we
close
out
2025,
we’ve
compiled
some
highlights
from
the
data
collected
through
our
surveys
and
other
research
over
the
last
year:

1. No.
   of
   participants
   in
   ATL
   surveys:
   
   7,591
2. No.
   of
   surveys
   conducted:
   
   13
3. No.
   of
   times
   someone
   cursed
   at
   us
   in
   a
   survey
   response:
   
   16
   (15
   times
   by
   the
   same
   respondent)
4. Number
   of
   readers
   who
   responded
   to
   our
   
   Biglaw
   Intimidation
   Survey
   in
   April
   regarding
   the
   Trump
   administration’s
   efforts
   to
   retaliate
   against
   law
   firms
   based
   on
   association
   with
   the
   president’s
   perceived
   enemies:
   
   857
5. Percentage
   of
   those
   readers
   who
   agreed
   that
   law
   firms
   who
   make
   deals
   with
   the
   administration
   are
   “giving
   in
   to
   extortion:”
   
   91%
6. Proportion
   of
   in-house
   counsel
   who
   reported
   that
   their
   
   workday
   is
   burdened
   by
   administrative
   tasks
   that
   detract
   from
   high-level
   legal
   work:
   
   88%
7. Percentage
   of
   associates
   surveyed
   in
   October
   who
   reported
   being
   
   on
   track
   to
   bill
   at
   least
   2100
   hours
   for
   the
   year:
   
   45% 
8. The
   proportion
   of
   law
   firm
   respondents
   who
   said
   
   hourly
   billing
   will
   better
   drive
   alignment
   between
   law
   firms
   and
   in-house
   legal
   teams:
   
   26%
9. Percentage
   of
   in-house
   respondents
   who
   said
   the
   same
   thing:
   
   5%
10. The
    law
    school
    with
    the
    
    most
    alumni
    on
    the
    federal
    bench:
    
    Harvard
    (121
    sitting
    judges
    as
    of
    June
    10,
    2025)
11. The
    
    only
    law
    school
    to
    make
    the
    Top
    5
    in
    
    ATL’s
    Law
    School
    Rankings
    in
    each
    of
    the
    last
    10
    years:
    
    University
    of
    Chicago
12. Percentage
    of
    law
    firm
    partners
    who
    read
    Above
    the
    Law
    during
    the
    workday:
    
    56%
13. Percentage
    of
    in-house
    counsel
    who
    do:
    
    70%
14. The
    most
    significant
    trend
    reshaping
    the
    legal
    industry
    over
    the
    next
    five
    years,
    according
    to
    lawyers
    and
    legal
    professionals:
    
    Increased
    use
    of
    AI
    and
    automation
15. Ratio
    of
    readers
    who
    want
    “more
    snark”
    on
    ATL
    to
    those
    who
    want
    less:
    
    3
    to
    2