Burnout 2.0: AI’s silent impact on lawyer mental health

Your client emails before you finish your first coffee. Attached is a chatbot’s analysis of the law and a proposed strategy for the case. By midmorning, you have used AI yourself—comparing documents, cutting through pages of judicial prose, producing a sharper draft in minutes. You are faster than you were last year, and your work product looks better. But something else has changed. The clock on your profession has started running faster.

Apr 29, 2026 9:05 AM CDT

NCBE updates character report, changes questions related to mental health and substance abuse

The National Conference of Bar Examiners’ updates to its standard Character Report Application template used by many jurisdictions significantly changed questions related to mental health and substance abuse that previously put off many law students from receiving help.

Apr 22, 2026 11:39 AM CDT

Justice Alito ‘felt ill’ at March event, was examined by doctor, court says

Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. was examined by a physician last month after he “felt ill” during an event in Philadelphia, a spokeswoman for the court said Friday.

Apr 3, 2026 3:19 PM CDT

Job satisfaction gap found between equity partners, others at their firms, new survey says

Nonequity partners and associates at law firms are less satisfied with their jobs than equity partners, a new Bloomberg Law survey has found.

Mar 24, 2026 10:10 AM CDT

Silent Struggles: Chronic illness, law firm culture and the need for psychological safety

We were in a small conference room—just me and the sixth-year associate. He was explaining an edit to the undisclosed liabilities representation clause of a merger agreement. I could hear his words, but all I could see was blurred black ink on the page.

Mar 11, 2026 9:10 AM CDT

Breaking the Stigma: Gavin Alexander shares mental health struggles to improve the profession

Gavin Alexander often tells other lawyers that success and seeking help aren’t mutually exclusive. Alexander, the Boston-based well-being director at Jackson Lewis, speaks from experience.

Jan 1, 2026 12:25 AM CST

Five strategies for leaders to prioritize mental health and well-being

Dec 23, 2025 9:00 AM CST

Legal leaders shoulder more stress, new survey shows

Think you’re stressed out? Your senior leaders probably have you beat.

Dec 18, 2025 10:15 AM CST

‘Am I the Drama?’ What Cardi B can teach the legal profession

When rapper Cardi B released Am I the Drama? just weeks after winning a high-profile assault lawsuit, she turned legal adversity into cultural commentary. From narrative framing and courtroom conduct to trial publicity and client counseling, her experience offers practical lessons for lawyers and law students on managing reputation, evidence and ethics in the court of law and the court of public opinion.

Dec 17, 2025 9:01 AM CST

Law prof sues Boeing, alleges toxic fumes inhaled on flight

A law professor is suing Boeing for $40 million, alleging that exposure to toxic fumes on a 737 operated by Delta Air Lines last August led to his lasting brain and respiratory injuries, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Dec 12, 2025 9:10 AM CST

Please Advise: It’s been a hard year for many; here’s some advice that got lawyers through it

The ABA Journal asked lawyers for the best advice they received in 2025, and we selected 20 thoughts to share with readers.

Dec 11, 2025 2:56 PM CST

How to navigate lawyer well-being in a tech-dominated world

Dec 8, 2025 2:00 PM CST

Read this year’s Ross Essay Contest winner, ‘26 Days’

University of Pittsburgh Law School graduate Murphy DePompei’s short story, ‘26 Days,’ about an associate struggling to avoid alcohol at a firm event, is the 2025 ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction.

Nov 26, 2025 10:29 AM CST

‘Prestige is no longer the primary currency of success in law,’ survey suggests

Lawyers are divided on whether income or flexibility and autonomy are their top priorities in legal practice, according to findings of a survey of 132 attorneys by Paragon Legal, a provider of temporary lawyers for in-house legal departments.

Nov 17, 2025 9:57 AM CST

Your inner critic isn’t your edge

Hunched over my desk, surrounded by markups and a neglected dinner gone cold, I pressed on. It was almost sunrise, but despite my blurry vision and aching back, I was determined to power through. I had to perfect the agreement before the partner arrived in a few hours.

Nov 6, 2025 9:20 AM CST