Burnout among lawyers is not simply an individual struggle. It affects lawyers in law firms, government roles, corporate legal departments, nonprofit organizations, and other legal workplaces. Emerging research indicates that rates of attorney burnout are increasing, making it even more important for legal employers to improve how well-being is supported in the workplace.
When legal workplaces overlook the well-being of their teams, the effects can spread quickly. Burnout can show up in reduced productivity, strained relationships, lower morale, turnover, diminished client service, and an increased risk of mistakes. It can also leave lawyers feeling disconnected from work they once cared deeply about.
For the lawyers experiencing burnout, the effects go beyond being tired. Chronic stress has a way of wearing lawyers down. Over time, it can chip away at our health, our focus, our patience, and even the quality of our work. It can also create ethical risks. When lawyers are overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, or isolated, our judgment, diligence, and ability to effectively serve clients often suffer.
To improve lawyer well-being, we first need to understand what contributes to burnout. Heavy workloads, demanding clients, trauma-heavy and high-stakes cases, constant deadlines, and internal and external pressures can leave lawyers feeling depleted. For some, that pressure comes from onerous billable hour expectations or a challenging firm culture. For others, it may come from overloaded public-sector caseloads or the loneliness associated with working in an isolated practice.
Regardless of the setting, burnout often grows when lawyers feel they have to keep pushing themselves without adequate support. Lawyers are often the problem solvers in numerous areas of their lives and, accordingly, may feel as though they must be stoic, unshakable professionals. Unfortunately, having an “Esq.” after your name does not make you unshakable. Every day, we must manage crises, meet deadlines, and help our clients through some of the most challenging situations in their lives. But when that becomes the norm, day after day, it can be easy to ignore the importance of our own well-being.
So how can legal workplaces begin to change the narrative?
It starts by creating cultures where burnout can be acknowledged before it becomes a crisis. Communication plays a critical role. When lawyers can speak more openly about stress, workload, their mental health, and how they take care of themselves, it helps reduce the stigma that too often keeps people from seeking support. That support may look different for everyone: therapy, yoga, exercise, recovery meetings, or even lunchtime walks around the building. None of these are signs of weakness; they are ways of maintaining health.
Legal workplaces can reinforce that message by encouraging lawyers to take care of themselves in practical ways, including taking time off for therapy and mental health days. Counseling and mental health days support healthy lawyer brains by giving the mind time and space to process stress, regulate emotions, and approach demanding work with greater clarity, focus, and perspective. After all, a lawyer’s brain is one of their most important tools. Why wouldn’t we want it functioning as well as possible?
Just as importantly, open communication helps workplaces understand what lawyers are actually experiencing. When lawyers feel safe naming stressors, raising concerns, and asking for support, organizations are better positioned to respond early. These conversations can reveal patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, including uneven workloads, unclear expectations, lack of mentorship, inadequate resources, or demands that have become unsustainable.
Recognizing those patterns is only the first step. Promoting work-life balance requires more than telling lawyers to “take care of themselves.” Lawyers need permission, in practice and not just in policy, to take breaks, use vacation time, disconnect when appropriate, and set reasonable boundaries around availability. When leaders model and respect those boundaries, they help create a workplace where well-being is treated as part of the job, not something separate from it.
We cannot eliminate all stress from the practice of law. Stress is part of the work. But we can do a better job recognizing when stress has become unsustainable. And we can build legal workplaces where lawyers feel supported, stay engaged, and are better able to do the work they set out to do.
If you find yourself facing burnout, or if you are looking for ways to better support the lawyers and employees in your workplace, you do not have to figure it out alone. Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers can help. LCL is always free and confidential. Contact us at [email protected] or 651-646-5590.
By Chase Andersen, Client Services Director