ANALYSIS: 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?

In August, Bloomberg law asked 884 law firm attorneys and 245 in-house attorneys about their workloads, well-being, and the challenges they face in their positions. Law firm attorneys reported working 47 hours a week, while in-house respondents said they worked 50 hours a week. Over the course of the first half of 2023, this means that in-house respondents worked almost two full weeks (78 hours) more than those at law firms.

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. On the flip side, only 3% of in-house attorneys reported not having enough work, while 22% of law firm attorneys said that they faced this challenge.

The heavier workloads and longer hours may be related to recent corporate layoffs. A higher percentage of in-house counsel (28%) reported forced reductions at their organizations than law firm attorneys reported (15%). With fewer people to do the work and tighter budgets, it makes sense that in-house attorneys report working longer and harder.

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. In-house attorney respondents said that they spent two hours less per week on self-care (5.7 hours total) than law firm attorneys (7.7 hours).

Now more than ever, attorneys considering an in-house move should take the time to research the organization because work-life balance and workloads vary from one company to another.

Bloomberg Law subscribers can find related content on our  Surveys, Reports & Data Analysis page, our Legal Operations page, our In Focus: Lawyer Development page, and our In Focus: Lawyer Well-Being page.

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