If you’ve ever wondered why Biglaw associates lament their lack of work-life balance, it could be because they’re regularly working “grueling” shifts at their firms. What kind of hours are we talking here? According to a new study conducted by Legal Cheek, on average, these lawyers are working more than 11 hours per day. But which firms are working their lawyers the hardest?
To find the answer, Legal Cheek surveyed more than 2,000 trainees and junior lawyers across the UK’s top 100+ firms. Here’s what they found:
US powerhouses still dominate the table for the longest average working days. At the very top, junior lawyers report clocking around 13 hours a day — often leaving the office after 10:00 pm. These late nights don’t go unrewarded: newly qualified salaries at these top firms have surged to a record-breaking £180,000 [~$243,000] over the past year or so.
Hot on the heels of the City’s US players, the Magic Circle sees average desk time hover between 10 and 11 hours a day, with NQ salaries coming in just below their US counterparts at a still impressive £150,000 [$~202,000].
Much like what happens here in the US, Biglaw associates are really working themselves to the bone across the pond. “We are constantly on call and we cannot leave our phones at home for more than 20 minutes,” said one associate. “I have had partners calling me when I am in bed for redlines and have been bombarded with emails even when ill.”
So, with that not-so rosy picture having been painted, which white-shoe firms have associates working the longest days, on average? Here are the top 10, where some associates are regularly leaving the office after 9 or 10 p.m.:
- Milbank: 13 hours 3 minutes
- Kirkland & Ellis: 12 hours 17 minutes
- Winston & Strawn: 12 hours 13 minutes
- Weil Gotshal: 12 hours 1 minute
- Paul Weiss: 12 hours 0 minutes
- Linklaters: 11 hours 57 minutes
- Fried Frank: 11 hours 51 minutes
- Clifford Chance / Jones Day: 11 hours 49 minutes
- Gibson Dunn: 11 hours 48 minutes
- Paul Hastings: 11 hours 47 minutes
Click here to see the full list.
While some firms have more manageable hours, with lawyers signing off from work around 5 or 6 p.m., the overall drain on attorneys’ lives outside the office is still incredible. Thankfully, Biglaw firms are taking mental health concerns more seriously than they have in the past, so we hope that with these long hours, they’re doing all they can to prevent associate burnout.
Exclusive research spotlights working hours of junior lawyers across UK’s 100+ top law firms [Legal Cheek]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
The post The Biglaw Firms Where Associates Are Working The Longest Hours (2025) appeared first on Above the Law.