ABA Journal

Lawyer Wellness

1040 ABA Journal Lawyer Wellness articles.

Michigan justice encourages struggling lawyers to get help as he announces mental health treatment

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein announced Tuesday that he will miss a special oral argument session April 26 because he is getting mental health treatment.

28% of lawyers in this state considered leaving the profession because of mental health, burnout or stress

Forty-nine percent of surveyed lawyers in New Jersey have reported moderate to high levels of burnout, a percentage that is nearly twice as high as the level of burnout in the general U.S. working population, according to a survey by a task force of the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Lawyers report high level of satisfaction with their jobs, but stress remains an issue, survey finds

Eighty-three percent of surveyed attorneys report they are stressed at least some of the time, but 71% of the lawyers would not switch careers if given a chance for a do-over, according to survey findings by Law360 Pulse.

Why you should unlearn certain valuable legal skills

Much has been written about the mental health crisis in the legal profession. Certainly, external factors like billable hours and client demands play a large role in creating anxiety and stress in the profession; but there are also internal factors created by “thinking like a lawyer” that deserve more focus.

BigLaw associate’s admonition to be available 24/7 with ‘no exceptions, no excuses’ goes viral

A Paul Hastings associate’s best-practices advice to junior colleagues in an internal presentation wasn’t that far off the mark, legal observers said. But its tone was lacking.

Law schools employ texting service to keep tabs on students’ mental health

With growing numbers of law students facing mental health challenges, at least five law schools are using a service to proactively identify struggling students and intervene as soon as possible.

What makes for unhappy lawyers?

Hey, lawyers! Is everybody happy? If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. Many of our colleagues are not exactly thrilled while practicing law. As Nanki-Poo in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado might say, the best way they could express their joys of law practice would be “modified rapture.”

Most deputy general counsel dissatisfied in current roles, new study shows

Deputy general counsel are reporting widespread burnout and dissatisfaction in a new study published Wednesday by legal talent provider Axiom and market research consultant Wakefield Research.

Lawyers are twice as likely to have thoughts of suicide, new study finds

A recent study of California and Washington, D.C., lawyers found that lawyers are twice as likely as the general population to experience suicidal ideation.

High rates of burnout have lawyers in this state considering leaving their jobs or the legal profession

More than three-fourths of Massachusetts lawyers are experiencing burnout, and almost half have thought about leaving their legal employer or the legal profession for that reason or because of stress in the last three years.

Law is the most stressful profession, newspaper’s analysis finds

The most stressful occupation in the United States is being a lawyer, according to an analysis by the Washington Post of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How lawyers can pursue a ‘wonderful life’

It is a new year, and the reruns of It’s a Wonderful Life have finally stopped. During this holiday season, I’ve spent some time reflecting on the movie, and there are certain themes from the film that lawyers can carry into the new year.

This lawyer tackled lifelong anxiety to free herself from ‘The Box’

“The Box: An Invitation to Freedom From Anxiety” became an investigation into the mental and emotional barriers that Wendy Tamis Robbins constructed since childhood to protect herself—and a blueprint for dismantling the barriers that no longer served her.

Top 8 Your Voice columns of 2022

Diversity and inclusion, stress management, mental health and practice management are some of the major areas of focus among legal professionals today. And contributors to the ABA Journal’s Your Voice column certainly brought these concepts front and center in 2022.

Law firm gives staff nonfungible tokens for mental health services

New Jersey-based personal injury law firm Grungo Colarulo says it will offer mental health services to its staff through nonfungible tokens, or NFTs.

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