Law.com Quotes McCullough in Article on 'Zoom Associates'

Heather McCullough was recently quoted in the Law.com article, "Partners Are Frustrated With 'Zoom Associates.' But Will Threatening Their Bonuses Change That?" The article discusses the younger generation of attorneys at work, and their different career-related motivations and desires than the generations prior.

Below is an excerpt of the article. Click here to visit Law.com and read the article in its entirety.

Some law firm partners are increasingly frustrated with the quality of work and the attitudes of “Zoom associates”—those who came into firms during and since the pandemic, according to interviews with consultants and law firm leaders. Consultants and partners have even bluntly described some younger associates as “lacking accountability and initiative.”

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Highlighting some of the frustration, several law firms have ramped up pressure for their attorneys—including associates—to be in the office, including tying office attendance to bonuses. At least six Am Law 100 firms have done so, with Ropes and Gray becoming one of the latest.

Heather McCullough, a partner and co-founder of Society54, said it would make sense “as a stick or carrot approach” to getting people back in the office.

“I think it’s going to be what a lot of firms do to get people back,” she said.

But will measures like tying bonuses to office attendance make a difference? Will it actually lead to an improvement in associates’ skills and performance?

There are different ways of working, McCullough said. Gen X, she said, likes to work independently, while Gen Y wants to be collaborative.

“Firms have not evolved,” she said. “COVID caused us to think about how we can work differently…Is this the tipping point, where things change?”

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