Improving Society Makes Lawyers Happy — Not Money

Instead of focusing on boosting profits per partner in the latest American Lawyer financial rankings, law firms might instead focus on improving their pro bono initiatives — because that’s really what makes lawyers happy, according to a recent survey.

In the fall of 2014, Northeastern University School of Law launched a survey of its entire alumni population, asking graduates from class years 1971 to 2012 about their careers, job satisfaction and what influenced them to become a lawyer.

Of the 4,939 people who graduated Northeastern between 1971 and 2012, 833 completed surveys and helped create a narrow snapshot of what makes a ...