JP Box, a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur and consultant, demystifies the Millennial mindset that causes so much consternation and confusion in law firms worldwide. Drawing upon his experiences as a young associate and in-depth research into the Millennial generation, the author provides a roadmap to help law firms understand how to connect with and motivate a growing generation of young attorneys.

Millennials, born 1981 to 1997, are the largest working generation in many countries around the world, and their numbers continue to increase in the legal profession.

Millennials, born 1981 to 1997, are the largest working generation in many countries around the world, and their numbers continue to increase in the legal profession. As a group, Millennials are socially conscious, confident, collaborative, and diverse. They seek to blend the lines between work and life; display an eagerness to make immediate contributions at work; value mentorship; opt for great experiences over the big paycheck; and believe in doing well by doing good.

Because the traditional model of hiring, training, and promoting young attorneys fails all too often, a new paradigm is needed to unlock the work ethic and talents of this growing generation. Importantly, law firms can find generational strength and harmony by understanding seven core principles of the Millennial mindset:

1. Champion Work-Life Blend. Trust high-performing associates with a degree of autonomy in determining when and where to access their most productive selves.
2. Embrace a Flatter Hierarchy. Focus on the unique and important role performed by each team member (from partner to associate to other legal professionals), not the title or status of each person working on a matter.
3. Be Creative in How Your Allow Your Associates to Make Contributions. Harness the youthful energy of young associates and create a transparent pathway to partnership while building avenues for meaningful contribution during the associate years.
4. Mentor, Mentor, Mentor! Make mentorship a habit, including formal and informal feedback, to develop a generation of attorneys that seek and benefit from guidance. 
5. Promote Community. Designate a communal workspace and provide permission for associates to work together to build a community within the office. 
6. Understand that Millennials Seek Great Experiences Over Great Pay. Focus on improving the experience of practicing law, not just business rewards. This experience includes building community amongst colleagues, embracing mentorship, and championing the noble and altruistic practice of law
7. Do Well by Doing Good: Inspire the best efforts of a young generation of lawyers by focusing on the noble practice of law, not just the business of law.

The future of the legal profession is bright. An eager generation of lawyers seeks to embrace the altruistic underpinnings of the profession and seeks the guidance of Gen X and Boomer colleagues. Increasingly, Millennials are your colleagues and your clients. Cracking the Millennial code is not a luxury, but a necessity, for those firms that will thrive in the evolving legal marketplace.