Enter the Disruptors — How gen Z is reshaping Scotland's legal profession

Peter Ranscombe explores what members of generation Z are bringing to the profession – and what they expect from their workplaces.

“People no longer want their work to be their whole identity,” explains Heather Gibson, a Scottish Young Lawyers’ Association (SYLA) Executive Committee member. “They are still ambitious, but they want to have a life outside of work – and they want that to be recognised in the workplace.”

Gibson’s comments are echoed throughout conversations about the skills and attitudes gen Zers bring to Scotland’s law firms, and their expectations of the workplace. Gen Zers are praised by employers not only for their technological skills but their willingness to challenge authority.

“Gen Z are highly tech-savvy and they expect firms to follow them by adopting modern tools,” says Aman Uppal, the SYLA’s secretary. “There is definitely a generational divide between the lawyers who rely on a paper file and always have their binders in front of them and Gen Z, who do not want to see a sheet of paper – if they have their laptop ,then they’re good to go.”

Julie McConnell, Brodies’ business development director, adds: “Gen Zers are coming to us with skills including coding, search engine optimisation and video production, both among lawyers and business services colleagues. They are inquisitive and passionate about what is going on in the world, and that awareness helps them spot opportunities and risks for clients.”

Raising the bar on workplace expectations

It is not only gen Z’s tech wizardry that is reshaping firms – their expectations of the workplace are also having an influence. “Flexible working is huge because gen Zers are used to it from experiencing the Covid-19 lockdowns while in education,” says Gibson. “I have seen friends leave firms that have not offered that flexibility.

“There are different expectations around compensation too. It is no longer just about a good base salary and bonus structure – instead, people are interested in other benefits too, such as healthcare and things that show a firm cares about your life outside work.”

Uppal adds: “One of the big priorities for my generation is meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work. Gen Zers strongly reject tokenism and are great at calling that out when they feel like it is happening.”

Iain Rutherford, Brodies’ chair, observes the same trait: “We could never just pay lip service to environmental, social and governance themes and DEI because people would challenge us. We have to be able to demonstrate that we are implementing change, and that accountability is really important.”

Sally-Anne Anderson, an employment lawyer at Aberdein Considine, notes: “Many of our gen Z colleagues are pushing for increased openness when it comes to mental health and emotional wellbeing.” Those desires have fed into the firm’s AC Flex working regime and its Let’s Talk publications.

Anne Macdonald, Harper Macleod’s head of business development, agrees: “For too long, law firms expected everyone to work in the same way, but our younger colleagues have brought an openness, especially around emotions, which I really value. In the past, acknowledging stress was seen as a sign of weakness, but our younger colleagues now see that self-awareness as a sign of power.

“There is no presenteeism, which was a feature of my generation. Instead, they use their time from nine to five in a really effective way, making the most of interactions with clients and colleagues, and using technology to save time.”

Training adapts to a new generation

Gen Z’s expectations are also changing how firms recruit. Yasmin Millar-Trotter, Burness Paull’s graduate recruitment and development manager, switched from hosting recruitment events over evening drinks to holding weekday brunches, which appeal more to gen Z.

“Graduates are now much more interested in the firm’s culture,” she says. “During visits to university campuses, I talk to them about our combination of ‘human’ and ‘high performance’ – we want people to be able to express themselves, but we must also be clear about the demands of working in our profession.”

Getting that work-life balance right strikes a chord with Brodies too. “Our annual billable-hours target is consciously lower than many other firms – at 1,200 hours – to give colleagues time to devote to their own development and the opportunity to explore other interests outside work,” says McConnell.

Macdonald adds: “When we talk about gen Z, it’s not just about lawyers, but about business services colleagues as well. Our modern apprenticeship scheme is a fantastic way for young people to work in business services – some may even decide that they love working for a law firm and want to go on to study law or gain a paralegal qualification, while others will progress within business services roles.”

Learning works both ways, with gen Z also sharing insights with colleagues. Uppal mentors Murray McCall, Anderson Strathern’s managing partner. “On paper, it sounds quite intimidating, but we have both taken a lot away from it and, as a team, we have bridged that generational gap,” she says.

Moving beyond the ‘gen Z’ label

Views differ over gen Z’s birth years. Data crunchers at the Pew Research Center [sic] opted for 1997 to 2012, while management consultancy McKinsey & Co chose 1996 to 2010, but not everyone is convinced of the need to pigeonhole people.

“Sometimes I find groupings such as ‘gen X’ or ‘millennials’ or ‘gen Z’ unhelpful because everyone is an individual who brings something unique to a firm,” says Macdonald. “About 28% of our colleagues were born after 1997 and they’re already bringing positive changes.”

Macdonald highlights how law firms may need to adapt in order to retain gen Z in the longer term, highlighting the attractiveness of Exeter-based Stephens Scown Solicitors’ employee-ownership model, musing: “Is the traditional partnership actually attractive or will we need a flatter hierarchy?”

YouGov data shared with The Journal shows career motivations vary among gen Z Scots, though: 58% claim “Money is the only reason I go to work” compared with 47% for the wider workforce, while 40% say “I am willing to sacrifice my free time to get ahead in my career” compared with 18% – salary is clearly still a factor for many recruits.

Whether or not partnership appeals to gen Zers, their influence is here to stay. “We are trying to push out that old men’s club culture that the legal industry is typically associated with,” adds Gibson.