Gen Z Lawyers Debate Sparked by Gibson Dunn

Sonia Hickey

Gibson Dunn have waded into the generational divide in law firms that has perhaps never been more pronounced, focused on Gen Z lawyers.

Gibson Dunn, a U.S-based firm with a presence in London, recently posted a job advertisement that seemed to encapsulate the frustrations of senior lawyers with their younger colleagues.

It is a debate that has arisen earlier with Gen Y lawyers, as we have reported.

Gibson Dunn sought a “professional support lawyer” to provide “targeted training” and, in what many read as a thinly veiled critique, additional “hand-holding” for junior associates. The ad was later edited to remove explicit references to Gen Z, but not before it sparked a firestorm of commentary.

The original listing, first reported by legal blog Roll on Friday, acknowledged what many senior lawyers have been grumbling about for years: younger lawyers allegedly require more guidance, more patience, and—perhaps most galling for their seasoned mentors—more tolerance for perceived entitlement.

One senior lawyer recounted an incident with a first-year trainee who refused to accept they had made an error, escalating the matter to HR instead of taking constructive criticism on the chin. “Entitled doesn’t even begin to describe it,” the lawyer fumed.

Other complaints followed in quick succession. Tales of late arrivals, early departures, and an aversion to the grind of City law were shared with the kind of exasperation usually reserved for courtroom theatrics.

One senior lawyer recalled a trainee who balked at working beyond 5:30 p.m., struggled with email response times, and eventually went on stress leave before being let go.

Another was flabbergasted when a junior associate declined to pull more than two all-nighters in a week because her parents were visiting. For some senior lawyers, this reluctance to embrace the relentless demands of corporate law seemed almost incomprehensible.

Pandemic Era Work Changes

The pandemic-era shift toward remote work has only exacerbated these generational tensions. Lawyers accustomed to Zoom are reportedly “barely disguising their boredom” during client meetings, according to one observer.

Others seem genuinely shocked when asked to put in evening or weekend hours during high-stakes deals—a hallmark of life at firms offering starting salaries north of £180,000.

But is this simply another case of older generations bemoaning the work ethic of their successors?

Christopher Clarke, a legal recruiter quoted in The Telegraph, issued a warning: “Any lawyer expecting to be paid £170k-plus will have a very short legal career.”

Yet surveys suggest that Gen Z’s priorities differ sharply from those of their predecessors. Research by Legal Cheek found that junior associates at firms like Weil Gotshal & Manges routinely clock 67.5-hour weeks, often working until 10:30 p.m. or later.

One junior solicitor even lamented that they “hadn’t seen sunlight in three months.” Despite this grueling schedule, many younger lawyers are pushing back against the idea that their lives should revolve entirely around work.

Broader studies indicate that Gen Z workers value work-life balance above sky-high salaries.

A survey by Co-operatives UK revealed that four in ten young British employees have considered leaving jobs they view as unethical.

And only 10 percent of Gen Z employees want to work full-time from the office—a stark contrast to earlier generations who saw long hours and physical presence as badges of honor.

For all the gripes about “lazy” Gen Z lawyers, it’s worth asking whether these younger professionals are simply redefining what success looks like in an industry long dominated by burnout culture.

While some senior lawyers may view requests for flexibility as entitlement, others might see them as an overdue recalibration of priorities in a profession that has historically prized endurance over well-being. Whether this generational clash will lead to lasting change—or just more HR complaints—remains to be seen.