Numerous recent news articles have highlighted the predicament of young and junior lawyers’ wellbeing. The headlines say it all:
“… junior lawyers are less happy, less fulfilled and more anxious” (Atwal & Lim, 2023)
“Starting salaries are £180, 000 – but do young lawyers believe the hours, stress and burnout are worth it?” (Croft, 2024)
“‘Old school’ expectations plague young lawyer mental health – but not all predecessors are sympathetic” (Roe, 2024)
“Junior lawyers at risk of early burnout” (Strategic Business Alliance, 2022)
These headlines suggest that young and junior lawyers’ mental health and wellbeing is adversely impacted by high workload, stress and law firm culture.
The research from Cadieux et al. and the International Bar Association support the message conveyed by the news headlines. These studies showed that lawyers under 35 years or with less than 10 years’ experience have very high levels of psychological distress (over 70% of young or junior lawyers) and symptoms of depression, anxiety and burnout (up to 36.4%, 52.1% and 67% of this demographic, respectively). These studies do not specifically focus on young or junior lawyers so the causal factors underlying these statistics are unclear.
The news articles suggest young lawyers’ wellbeing is primarily impacted by the demands of working in large commercial law firms, where billable hour targets can exceed 2200 per year. Hence, junior lawyers are working under immense pressure, with some working up to 12-hour days, 7 days per week. The work young lawyers appear to undertake is less interesting and they have little autonomy over their work. Further, it appears that their superiors have little understanding of their struggle since they (the partners) experienced the same extreme pressures as juniors and apparently handled it. (Yet, the research suggests that the wellbeing of experienced lawyers does not improve with time, so perhaps more experienced lawyers hold particular biases that obscure their perception of their own mental health and wellbeing.)
The news articles’ accounts of young and junior lawyers’ experiences are supported by the research literature, despite the paucity of research on young lawyers’ wellbeing. Forstenlechner and Lettice and Henderson and Zaring discuss the experiences of young and junior lawyers employed by large commercial law firms in the UK and USA. Overall, these studies suggest that junior lawyers may earn high salaries at the expense of challenging working conditions that lead to dissatisfaction, exhaustion, burnout and little work-life balance. These studies highlight several contributing factors to the poor wellbeing outcomes. The firms operate as commercial entities where profit is the bottom-line and they appear to operate on a model that accepts high attrition amongst junior lawyers. The firms rely on junior lawyers to provide “cheap” labour undertake tedious and repetitive tasks required in legal practice. The apparent predominant culture is that junior lawyers enable senior lawyers to earn higher salaries as firm profits increase because junior lawyers bill high hours. Young lawyers are apparently attracted to these prestigious firms because working there for a few years can lead to good employment prospects after they leave. Together these studies suggest that young and junior lawyers working in large commercial firms experience poor mental health and wellbeing from firm business practices and culture.
The research articles highlight the entrenched culture of overwork, billable hours and profit over people that the broader literature on legal professional’s mental health and wellbeing has investigated. These cultural traits have been identified by the research as key systemic aspects in need of change so that legal professionals’ mental health and wellbeing can be supported and improve. Thus, it appears that young and junior lawyers may experience greater levels of poor mental health and wellbeing by virtue of their low position and consequent lack of autonomy and agency in a hierarchical and commercialised work culture. News articles and research are beginning to suggest that young lawyers today are less willing to work in conditions that adversely impact their wellbeing, and many do not aspire to becoming a partner in the future. It is, therefore, imperative that the profession ensure its own future by acknowledging the cultural and systemic issues that perpetuate poor wellbeing within the profession and potentially drive the profession’s future away.
Do we want a thriving and flourishing profession to continue to undertake the critical work lawyers provide to the community and society?
What are your experiences of being a junior legal professional?
What do you observe among junior lawyers in your workplace or community?
What are the key cultural factors that you think influence junior lawyers’ mental health and wellbeing?
Support for Lawyers understands legal professionals. Our professionals can assist younger and junior lawyers to deal with the challenges of their role. We can also assist legal leaders to determine how to support junior lawyers and enable their organisations to thrive because their staff are flourishing.
At Support for Lawyers, we believe that when whole sectors, firms or organisations engage with us wellbeing is embraced as part of normal workplace culture and business as usual. This is responsible business practice and is protective of everyone.
Talk to us about how our preventative approach to enhance wellbeing can support you, your staff and your legal organisation.
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Atwal, B.S., & Lim, L. (2023, April 6). Our research shows that junior lawyers are less happy, less fulfilled and more anxious. Why? The Law Society. https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/junior-lawyers/our-research-shows-that-junior-lawyers-are-less-happy-less-fulfilled-and-more-anxious-why
Cadieux, N., Cadieux, J., Gingues, M., Gouin, M.-M., Fournier, P.-L., Caya, O., Pomerleau, M.-L. Morin, E., Camille, A.B., & Gahunzire, J. (2022). Research report (final version): Towards a healthy and sustainable practice of law in Canada. National study on the health and wellness determinants of legal professionals in Canada, phase I (2020-2022). Université de Sherbrooke, Business School. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365867261_Research_report_Final_version_Towards_a_Healthy_and_Sustainable_Practice_of_Law_in_CanadaNational_Study_on_the_Health_and_Wellness_Determinants_of_Legal_Professionals_in_Canada_Phase_I_2020-2022
Croft, J. (2024, July 27). Starting salaries are £180, 000 but do young lawyers believe the hours, stress and burnout are worth it? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/jul/27/starting-salaries-are-180000-but-do-young-lawyers-believe-the-hours-stress-and-burnout-are-worth-it
Forstenlechner, I., & Lettice, F. (2008). Well paid but undervalued and overworked: The highs and lows of being a junior lawyer in a leading law firm. Employee Relations, 30(6), 640-662. https://doi.org/10.1108/01425150810910037
Henderson, W.D., & Zaring, D. (2007). Young associates in trouble. Michigan Law Review, 105, 1087-1106.
