The NALP Foundation Releases Canadian Stay Study Exploring Key Factors Driving Law Firm Associate Retention

The NALP Foundation announces the release of its newest research report: Should I Stay or Should I Go? Key Factors Driving Law Firm Associate Retention exclusively for Canadian law firms. The inaugural Canadian Stay Study identifies the key reasons associates elect to remain at their firms, critical information for law firm leaders as they assess the efficacy and focus of their retention efforts.

Over 400 associates from 17 law firms across Canada participated in the study, ranking and rating 15 key factors (and their sub-factors), as well as providing narrative responses elucidating these issues. The report not only details the aggregate data, but breaks it down by associate cohorts, including by firm size, seniority level, and gender identity. Among the intriguing results:

- Top Three Factors: Associates ranked Compensation as the top reason for deciding to stay at their firms; this was followed closely by Work-Life Balance and Career Path.

- Comparison to U.S.: While associates within Canada and U.S law firms ranked the same factors as the top three reasons for remaining at their firms, the ranks for the next three factors diverged, with Canadian associates ranking Practice Area Alignment with Personal Interest, Mentoring and Firm Culture/Social Ties higher than their U.S. peers.

- High Engagement and Positive Experiences: Three-quarters of associates (75%) reported they were highly engaged with their firms; even higher levels described their firm experiences positively (80%). Those working hybrid schedules had the highest engagement levels, as well as reported the most positive experience.

- Differences by Cohorts: Intriguingly, there were no differences in the data between associates hired as entry or lateral associates, while there were notable variances in a number of areas when analyzed by seniority level (e.g., the importance of wellness/mental health programming, training and resources) and by gender identity (e.g., the importance of remote work arrangements).

“This new study provides the first empiric and narrative data from Canadian associates on the issues that are most important to them in deciding whether to stay at a firm,” noted NALP Foundation President & CEO Fiona Trevelyan Hornblower. “With detailed information on how these factors vary by seniority level, firm size, and demographic features such as gender identity., the report provides critical insights for both firms and the profession as a whole as we seek to support the next generation of Canadian attorneys.”

The study collected data on the importance of each of the following factors to associates:

• Benefits (medical, dental, mental health support)
• Career Path
• Compensation (salary/bonus/other)
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Firm Culture/Social Ties
• Firm Policies (billable hours/credit, leave)
• Hybrid Work Policies
• Location
• Market Perception of Firm
• Mentoring (formal and informal)
• Practice Area Alignment with Personal Interest
• Pro Bono/Community Involvement
• Professional Development
• Work Allocation/Workflow Management
• Work-Life Balance

The full Stay Study report (in PDF format) is available for purchase from The NALP Foundation Bookstore at https://www.nalpfoundation.org/stay-study