So here’s the real story. Big Law attorneys are notably unhappier than most other lawyers, for a variety of reasons. Far and away the most common one given by the Big Law refugees who have founded New Law companies is the desire for work-life balance. Recent research suggests that what Big Law offers—one-off individual accommodation policies—are not effective. Typically, the people who use them suffer the worst of both worlds – they’re stigmatized, but find themselves working full time for part-time pay. What New Law offers is what leading researchers now agree is a more promising formula: they hard-bake work-life balance into the business model.

New Law firms offer attorneys two very different types of alternative schedules. The first is genuine part-time work that can be done from home. This is popular both with lawyers who self-identify as stay-at-home parents and with those who have second careers (Counsel on Call is headquartered in Nashville and provides day jobs for musician-lawyers there). The second is full-time flex: 40 to 50 hours a week (but no more), worked from home, with completely flexible hours and the ability to be show up for dinner and vacations with your family. A lot of men want full time flex, alongside many women. “Many of our lawyers, myself included, had a difficult time while in full-time private practice fully committing to events, vacations, and time with their families and friends. That’s one reason many lawyers, including many men, are leaving Big Law,” said Eric Schultenover of Counsel on Call. Another Big Law refugee, Charulata Pagar of VLP Partners LLP, whose earnings increased when she left her firm (taking clients with her), said she also loved the fact that she was “at home with my seven year old who didn’t get into camp this week.” What’s not to like?

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