In the legal profession, the rules of the game for achieving success are often unwritten. The top performers—those who manage to do work that they love and attain status as leaders in their field—have hacked their way to the peak without a map.

In an ongoing, multiyear study, Diversity Lab’s team of talent experts, psychologists and data scientists has conducted and analyzed individual interviews with more than 400 leaders from 25 Am Law 200 law firms and legal departments across the country. (Diversity Lab, creator of the OnRamp Fellowship to facilitate the re-entry of experienced women lawyers into the legal profession, helps develop diversity initiatives for law firms, legal departments and banks.)