In-House Counsel Say They Work More Than Firm Lawyers

An in-house lawyer does not necessarily have better work-life balance than a law firm lawyer, according to data from Bloomberg Law’s most recent Workload & Hours Survey .

The survey responses indicate that in-house attorneys are working longer and have worse well-being than their law firm counterparts, shattering the long-held belief in the legal profession that working in-house is not as draining as law firm work.

In-House Counsel Working Law Firm Hours? Law firm attorneys reported working 47 hours a week, while in-house respondents said they worked 50 hours a week. Hand-in-hand with the longer hours are heavier workloads for our in-house respondents—almost 70% of in-house attorneys said that their workloads increased over the past six months, while a little over half of law firm attorneys said the same.

Not All Is Well for In-House Counsel. The additional work may be impacting in-house attorneys’ well-being: 46% of in-house attorneys said that their well-being worsened in the first half of 2023, compared to 39% of law firm attorneys. Added to the stress of potential layoffs and busy schedules, in-house attorneys simply had less time to focus on their own well-being in the first half of the year.

Foley Pulls Associate Job Offer Over Israel-Palestine Comments

Foley & Lardner rescinded an employment offer for an incoming associate over public comments she made following the Hamas attack on Israel, the law firm said.

The Milwaukee-founded firm pulled the offer for Jinan Chehade, a 2023 Georgetown Law School graduate, just before her intended October start date, a Foley spokesperson said, citing “public statements that were inconsistent with our core values.” Following “a discussion with Ms. Chehade, we made the decision to rescind her offer of employment,” the firm spokesperson said.

The decision has prompted legal action from Chehade, who on Nov. 13 filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She’s accusing the firm of illegal retaliation and discrimination on the basis of her nationality and religion, her lawyer Rima Kapitan said in a phone interview. Kapitan said Chehade also plans to file a lawsuit in federal court in Chicago, where Chehade was to start her job at Foley.

“They took her media posts as evidence that she supported violence, even though she said her concern was freedom for Palestinians,” said Kapitan. “There are other attorneys at Foley who support Israel. Presumably none of those attorneys were called into an interrogation or fired for their political beliefs.”

Winston & Strawn in October scrapped a job offer for a New York University law student who, following the Hamas attack, issued a statement saying they “will not condemn Palestinian resistance.” Davis Polk & Wardwell also revoked job offers to three students at Harvard and Columbia universities who were leaders of groups that signed onto statements holding Israel responsible for the attack.

Hogan Chief Looks to Grow New York Office After Raiding Stroock

Hogan Lovells is looking to continue growth in New York after poaching roughly 70 partners and associates from failing Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, according to the global law firm’s leader.

The acquisition of the Stroock team, a group that includes 28 partners, highlights CEO Miguel Zaldivar ’s efforts to burnish Hogan Lovells’ brand as a top-tier firm. He’s planning further investments in New York, California, Texas, Washington and London, Zaldivar said in an interview.

“In New York, you require critical mass and this is a very good step in the right direction,” Zaldivar said of the Stroock hires, many of which are based in Manhattan. “But it’s definitely not the end of our growth plan for New York.”

Hogan Lovells is already among the largest firms in the world, employing roughly 2,500 lawyers and raking in more than $2.4 billion in gross revenue last year. Its attorneys have advised Walmart, Lockheed Martin, and Apollo Global Management, Inc., among a wide range of other companies.

Hogan still aims to reach $3 billion in revenue—a height only the top five law firms have reached, as ranked by the American Lawyer. It’s a matter of “when” and not “if,” Zaldivar said.

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