{"id":148874,"date":"2026-04-15T15:29:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T23:29:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/04\/15\/vault-quality-of-life-rankings-the-best-law-firms-to-work-for-in-america-2027\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T15:29:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T23:29:14","slug":"vault-quality-of-life-rankings-the-best-law-firms-to-work-for-in-america-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/04\/15\/vault-quality-of-life-rankings-the-best-law-firms-to-work-for-in-america-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"Vault \u2018Quality Of Life\u2019 Rankings: The Best Law Firms To Work For In America (2027)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, Vault released the 2027 edition of its\u00a0closely watched law firm rankings<\/a>, proving that prestige has its limits. While money \u2014 in the form of Cravath\u2019s perennially competitive pay scale \u2014 can help maintain a firm\u2019s place near the top, defending the rule of law in the face of a brazenly authoritarian president can reshape how associates define prestige altogether.<\/p>\n

But can that money buy happiness when associates are increasingly measuring prestige not just in dollars, but in whether their firms are willing to stand up for justice in America?<\/p>\n

In a companion ranking to the Vault 100, associates were asked to rank their own law firms based on categories most relevant to their overall quality of life, including satisfaction; firm culture; hours; compensation; quality of work; business outlook; career outlook; associate\/partner relations; transparency; formal and informal training; pro bono; and overall inclusion.<\/p>\n

Fifty firms were ranked for Vault\u2019s 2027 Best Law Firms to Work For survey, which was conducted from October 22, 2025\u00a0to\u00a0January\u00a023, 2026, so we\u2019re getting a bird\u2019s-eye view of life at many of these firms in the aftermath of Trump\u2019s revenge tour against Biglaw and the broader legal industry. We\u2019re also looking at feedback from associates during the fast-paced rise of artificial intelligence being used within the legal profession. All of that being said, only of the firms that made the Top 10 list for being the most prestigious made the Top 10 list for being a best firm to work for.<\/p>\n

There was a huge amount of movement in the Top 10 this year. Which firms made the cut? Without any further ado, here are the\u00a0Top 10 Best Law Firms to Work For<\/a>\u00a0based on Vault\u2019s Annual Associate Survey for 2027:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Morgan Lewis & Bockius (+1)<\/li>\n
  2. O\u2019Melveny & Myers (-1)<\/li>\n
  3. Clifford Chance US (no change)<\/li>\n
  4. Ropes & Gray (+36)<\/li>\n
  5. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher (+16)<\/li>\n
  6. Fried Frank (+3)<\/li>\n
  7. Mayer Brown (+1)<\/li>\n
  8. Gunster (-2)<\/li>\n
  9. Baker & Hostetler (+2)<\/li>\n
  10. Proskauer (not ranked)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In happy news for associate quality of life, Morgan Lewis and O\u2019Melveny duked it out once again this year, competing to really impress their associates. As noted by Eric Stutzke, SVP and General Manager of Vault, \u201cWe saw another close race between Morgan Lewis and O\u2019Melveny for the Best Law Firm to Work For title.\u201d Both Morgan Lewis and O\u2019Melveny placed in the top 10 for every quality of life category, with each snagging the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in nearly every ranking. <\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen looking at the average scores from all associates participating in the survey, the largest increases were in Technology and Innovation and Wellness,\u201d Stutke said. \u201cFirms are investing more in AI-powered tools and technologies. They are also paying more attention to the mental and physical well-being of associates.\u201d This certainly helps explain the meteoric rise in the rankings for Ropes and Gibson Dunn, which both placed well in the tech and wellness categories.<\/p>\n

    Congratulations to each of the Biglaw firms that made the latest edition of the Vault Best Firms to Work For rankings, and a huge congratulations to Morgan Lewis and O\u2019Melveny for scoring incredibly well. How did your firm do?\u00a0Email us<\/a>, text us at\u00a0(646) 820-8477<\/a>, or tweet us\u00a0@atlblog<\/a>\u00a0to let us know how you feel.<\/p>\n

    Best Law Firms to Work For (2027)<\/a>\u00a0[Vault]<\/p>\n

    \n
    \"\"
    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Staci Zaretsky<\/a>\u00a0is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she\u2019s worked since 2011. She\u2019d love to hear from you, so please feel free to\u00a0email<\/a>\u00a0her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on\u00a0Bluesky<\/a>,\u00a0X\/Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0Threads<\/a>,\u00a0or connect with her on\u00a0Linke<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    The post Vault \u2018Quality Of Life\u2019 Rankings: The Best Law Firms To Work For In America (2027)<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Last week, Vault released the 2027 edition of its\u00a0closely watched law firm rankings<\/a>, proving that prestige has its limits. While money \u2014 in the form of Cravath\u2019s perennially competitive pay scale \u2014 can help maintain a firm\u2019s place near the top, defending the rule of law in the face of a brazenly authoritarian president can reshape how associates define prestige altogether.<\/p>\n

    But can that money buy happiness when associates are increasingly measuring prestige not just in dollars, but in whether their firms are willing to stand up for justice in America?<\/p>\n

    In a companion ranking to the Vault 100, associates were asked to rank their own law firms based on categories most relevant to their overall quality of life, including satisfaction; firm culture; hours; compensation; quality of work; business outlook; career outlook; associate\/partner relations; transparency; formal and informal training; pro bono; and overall inclusion.<\/p>\n

    Fifty firms were ranked for Vault\u2019s 2027 Best Law Firms to Work For survey, which was conducted from October 22, 2025\u00a0to\u00a0January\u00a023, 2026, so we\u2019re getting a bird\u2019s-eye view of life at many of these firms in the aftermath of Trump\u2019s revenge tour against Biglaw and the broader legal industry. We\u2019re also looking at feedback from associates during the fast-paced rise of artificial intelligence being used within the legal profession. All of that being said, only of the firms that made the Top 10 list for being the most prestigious made the Top 10 list for being a best firm to work for.<\/p>\n

    There was a huge amount of movement in the Top 10 this year. Which firms made the cut? Without any further ado, here are the\u00a0Top 10 Best Law Firms to Work For<\/a>\u00a0based on Vault\u2019s Annual Associate Survey for 2027:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Morgan Lewis & Bockius (+1)<\/li>\n
    2. O\u2019Melveny & Myers (-1)<\/li>\n
    3. Clifford Chance US (no change)<\/li>\n
    4. Ropes & Gray (+36)<\/li>\n
    5. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher (+16)<\/li>\n
    6. Fried Frank (+3)<\/li>\n
    7. Mayer Brown (+1)<\/li>\n
    8. Gunster (-2)<\/li>\n
    9. Baker & Hostetler (+2)<\/li>\n
    10. Proskauer (not ranked)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      In happy news for associate quality of life, Morgan Lewis and O\u2019Melveny duked it out once again this year, competing to really impress their associates. As noted by Eric Stutzke, SVP and General Manager of Vault, \u201cWe saw another close race between Morgan Lewis and O\u2019Melveny for the Best Law Firm to Work For title.\u201d Both Morgan Lewis and O\u2019Melveny placed in the top 10 for every quality of life category, with each snagging the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in nearly every ranking. <\/p>\n

      \u201cWhen looking at the average scores from all associates participating in the survey, the largest increases were in Technology and Innovation and Wellness,\u201d Stutke said. \u201cFirms are investing more in AI-powered tools and technologies. They are also paying more attention to the mental and physical well-being of associates.\u201d This certainly helps explain the meteoric rise in the rankings for Ropes and Gibson Dunn, which both placed well in the tech and wellness categories.<\/p>\n

      Congratulations to each of the Biglaw firms that made the latest edition of the Vault Best Firms to Work For rankings, and a huge congratulations to Morgan Lewis and O\u2019Melveny for scoring incredibly well. How did your firm do?\u00a0Email us<\/a>, text us at\u00a0(646) 820-8477<\/a>, or tweet us\u00a0@atlblog<\/a>\u00a0to let us know how you feel.<\/p>\n

      Best Law Firms to Work For (2027)<\/a>\u00a0[Vault]<\/p>\n

      \n
      \"\"
      <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Staci Zaretsky<\/a>\u00a0is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she\u2019s worked since 2011. She\u2019d love to hear from you, so please feel free to\u00a0email<\/a>\u00a0her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on\u00a0Bluesky<\/a>,\u00a0X\/Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0Threads<\/a>,\u00a0or connect with her on\u00a0Linke<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

      The post Vault \u2018Quality Of Life\u2019 Rankings: The Best Law Firms To Work For In America (2027)<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Last week, Vault released the 2027 edition of its\u00a0closely watched law firm rankings, proving that prestige has its limits. While money \u2014 in the form of Cravath\u2019s perennially competitive pay scale \u2014 can help maintain a firm\u2019s place near the top, defending the rule of law in the face of a brazenly authoritarian president can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":148875,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Staci-Zaretsky-7xyFat.jpg?fit=150%2C100&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}