New Generations, New Law? How Expectations, Ethics and Career Paths are Changing Within Corporate Legal Departments

Abstract

Whether authentic or apocryphal, these quotations convey a simple truth: every generation tends to view the next with a certain degree of scepticism. Criticism of younger generations is hardly a modern phenomenon; indeed, it may well be one of humanity's oldest traditions. Yet, in today's debate on the future of work - and particularly on the evolution of legal professions - the issue deserves closer attention. When we hear that younger legal professionals are less willing to make sacrifices, less inclined to accept hierarchical structures, or less prepared to define themselves entirely through their work, are we really witnessing a decline in professional values? Or are we observing the emergence of a different understanding of professional life?