'Perpetual Crisis'? Preparing Gen Z Lawyers for an uncertain work future

Gen Z legal professionals, those born 1995-2009, are encountering a complex and rapidly changing world of work. The top search result for ‘Gen Z meaning’ returns the example phrase ‘the world Gen Z has inherited is one of unprecedented chaos’. Profound cultural shifts are underway.
Rising living costs are impacting generations differently, and for many Gen Z’s, home ownership appears permanently out of reach. Both personal and professional relationships and communications are increasingly digitally mediated. Online platforms shape knowledge construction and distribute the management of trust. Working conditions for professionals during the pandemic have given rise to expectations of continued flexibility – work from home, work from anywhere, work anytime. Expectations regarding work-life balance, career progression, work satisfaction and purpose are changing. Recent enquiries and reports which highlight bullying, discrimination, harassment, and expectations of excessive work hours breed perceptions that many legal workplaces are toxic. Technological tools are changing both what lawyers do and how they do it. The promise of automation brings threats of job insecurity. Job mobility is high, with frequent movement now common. ‘One in five (20 per cent) [of young lawyers internationally] are somewhat or highly likely to leave the profession entirely [in the next five years].’

Interpersonal and communication skills (commonly called ‘soft’ skills) have in the past often been perceived as less important than academic achievement, technical or intellectual abilities. However, in this current context of rapid and constant change, highly developed ‘human-centred’ professional skills are becoming more vital than ever. Coincidentally though, employers and educators anecdotally report increasing numbers of graduates and students who seem to lack confidence interacting with others in-person and who apparently have greater difficulty than pre-pandemic cohorts in responding resiliently to feedback.

What does this mean for the formation of Gen Z’s professional identity, and how they develop and act about their professional and ethical responsibilities? How does this impact their development of those vital interpersonal skills, whether with their work colleagues, their opponents, or their clients? How can we ensure that the next generation of legal practitioners is ‘equipped to meet the ever-evolving needs of their clients’.

The International Bar Association (IBA) has identified ‘a growing divergence between attitudes of the older and younger members of the profession’ and has raised concerns that ‘a generational disconnect between the profession’s current and future leaders needs to be addressed’. What does this mean for those who work with and teach Gen Z emerging and future lawyers? What challenges need to be addressed in this ‘cross-cultural’ teaching and learning context?

This chapter will argue that clinical legal education can be key in addressing these issues - intentionally, explicitly and as part of the hidden curriculum. But understanding the cultural shift that is taking place also raises important and pressing questions for educators and employers as to the extent that Gen Z lawyers should be expected to assimilate (or not) into existing legal culture or whether they can be assisted to forge a new cultural and professional paradigm. Perhaps this presents a cross-generational opportunity to think differently about the future of the legal profession.