This fall marks the entry of the latest group of "Generation Y" lawyers into law firm careers. As part of that generation, we face not only demanding new jobs but also the daunting task of maintaining some semblance of a private life. The struggle is not the same for everyone. For some, the challenge involves balancing commitments to significant others, children, friends or even pets. Others may wrestle with maintaining creative, athletic or other outlets. Whatever the outside interests or responsibilities, we understand that we will undoubtedly find that long work days and billable-hour requirements leave markedly less time for private pursuits.

We asked a number of recently hired colleagues to share their thoughts -- and we drew on our own -- on what work-life balance means to them. We think the answers could prove helpful to firms and individual lawyers as they figure out how to juggle professional goals with personal fulfillment.

Reputedly restless, and having come of age in an era where repeatedly checking e-mail while out of the office is seen more as a habit rather than an intrusion, many Generation Y lawyers seek out firms that can provide them with meaningful help in maintaining the ever-blurring distinction between their personal and work lives.

Having grown up in the Internet age, we are sophisticated consumers of technology and are highly skilled at keeping our colleagues up to date. Because of our facility with the latest technological advances, we are, arguably, the best-positioned to succeed at working remotely or on an alternative work schedule. As a result, not only do many of us look for firms with work-life balance initiatives but we also want the firms to back up such initiatives with a proven track record of helping lawyers achieve balance.

Work-life balance is something that touches all of us, even those of us who have yet to start a family. After choosing to work for a large law firm, many new associates have been bombarded with unsolicited opinions on how we are going to have "no life" and how we should be ready to focus solely on work to the exclusion of everything else. We refuse to believe that the only viable jobs for maintaining balance are in-house or with the government. We like the variety of work that a law firm provides, and we want to make this career something that will last through various phases of our personal lives.

For most new associates, concerns about work-life balance played a critical role in selecting their chosen firm. Many of us have made personal commitments to find a way to be successful at our jobs while maintaining personal relationships and interests. One associate we spoke to remembered the wise words of a partner who said, "Cases come and go, but at the end of the day, your loved ones are what matter." Another selected his firm because he felt that "as long as I am productive, no one's going to give me grief for doing something fun over the weekend." Similarly, another new associate wanted to find a work environment "where I feel like I have the professional support to manage my work and reach my professional goals without being so stressed out that my personal life -- meaning my family and friends -- suffers too much."

Other new associates expressed concern about work-life balance issues that will arise in the future. They noted that in choosing their firm, they looked beyond the firm's stated work-life balance policies to see if attorneys at the firm actually have been able to maintain balance. One new associate remarked that she was struck by the fact that "there are many mothers and fathers here who manage to be both great parents and hardworking attorneys." Another "was impressed by the number of women in firm leadership positions who still maintained a family life."

Achieving balance is particularly important to those of us who grew up with the legacy of difficult work-life balance decisions. One of us whose mother is also an attorney has numerous stories describing how her mother dealt with work-life balance challenges. Perhaps the most poignant tale was how the new associate, at the ripe age of 5, while sitting in her mother's law office watching her work, took it upon herself to write her name in her mother's appointment book to make sure that her mom would have more time to spend with her. It was a painful lesson that, in her daughter's opinion, spending time in her mother's office was not "quality time." Her mother eventually left her firm job for a more flexible legal career.

Stories like this make us hope that things will be better for us as we embark on our legal careers and try to balance being great lawyers and parents.

WHAT FIRMS CAN DO

The issue is of obvious importance to new lawyers, but what exactly can firms do to help? Most firms have already addressed the issue by allowing for telecommuting, part-time work schedules and generous leave policies among other accommodations. For many new associates, the option of telecommuting is particularly attractive, especially because these lawyers are so adept at working remotely. Firms could promote this option and let go of the importance of "face time," particularly as firms get larger and more accustomed to handling clients' needs through multioffice teams.

Even though we are poised to succeed at alternative working arrangements and often seek out firms that accommodate such arrangements, how can the newest group of lawyers navigate the work-life challenges we will face? Communication is key. New associates should get involved in their firms' continuing dialogue on the issue and consider proposing positive solutions that may not already have been considered. If utilizing an alternative working arrangement, the associate should communicate early and often with his or her colleagues and clients to reassure them that the client's matters are being handled quickly and appropriately and to alert them to any scheduling issues.

Firms should look seriously at new work-life proposals from the incoming class and educate partners and other managing attorneys on how to successfully work with attorneys who choose alternative working arrangements. With firms more friendly than ever to these arrangements and with a little effort by associates to maintain open lines of communication, our newest lawyers may just solve the age-old problem of work-life balance once and for all.

Lee Faller is a first-year associate at Reed Smith in the commercial litigation group in Oakland, Calif. Maria Jones is a first-year associate at Reed Smith's corporate and securities group in San Francisco. The lone Gen Xer to contribute to this article, Reed Smith counsel Christine Morgan, practices intellectual property litigation and has two children, ages 1 and 3.