Taking the Pain Out of Work – Wellbeing in the Legal Profession

The State of Wellbeing in the Legal Profession

Both experts agreed that there are significant wellbeing issues in the legal profession globally. Carnegie noted, “We’ve seen the research that shows what some of the average hours will vary in different types of law firms. And without wishing to be pejorative, the American firms are particularly egregious in that sense.”

Moriarty highlighted the uniqueness of the Law Society of Ireland’s approach: “As far as we’re aware, uniquely, we have a psychological service built into the Law Society of Ireland, which means that we’re able to partner directly with workplaces and work therapeutically with individual lawyers to really kind of build high levels of psychological well being.”

Sources of Pain in Legal Work

  1. Loneliness and Disconnection: Moriarty pointed out, “One of the biggest challenges at the moment is loneliness. There are colleagues who are utterly disconnected from each other physically and geographically and in terms of time zones even now increasingly.”
  2. Perfectionism: Both experts noted the high levels of perfectionism in the profession. Moriarty stated, “There’s a lot of pain around that big piece around perfectionism… that kind of high reaching, high drive, wanting to get it all right.”
  3. Billable Hours Model: Carnegie highlighted the issue with the billable hours model: “These insane numbers of billable hour expectations are being set. And they can only be done if you work a constant six or seven billable hours a day.”
  4. Ethical Burnout: Carnegie mentioned the concept of “ethical burnout” where lawyers face challenges in maintaining integrity in high-pressure environments.
  5. Stigma: Carnegie noted, “Stigma was such a huge feature across, the bullying and harassment work and the wellbeing work that we’ve done at the IBA.”

Solutions and Best Practices

  1. Psychological Services: Moriarty shared the success of the Law Society of Ireland’s psychological service, which has expanded from working with trainees to serving all lawyers in the country.
  2. Comprehensive Audits: Moriarty described a project with RDJ LLP law firm involving a comprehensive listening exercise, leading to 40 recommendations for improving workplace culture.
  3. Policy Development: Both experts stressed the importance of clear policies around career progression, work-life balance, and support systems.
  4. Client Engagement: The experts discussed the potential for clients to drive change by setting expectations around lawyer wellbeing when engaging law firms.
  5. Regulatory Guidance: Carnegie mentioned the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the UK issuing guidance to improve law firm culture.
  6. Leadership Buy-in: Both experts emphasised the need for engaged leadership to drive wellbeing initiatives.
  7. Intersectionality: Carnegie highlighted the importance of recognising how well being affects different people in different ways based on factors like gender, ethnicity, and age.

The Role of Clients and Market Forces

The discussion touched on the potential for clients to drive change. Carnegie suggested, “Surely you’d want to see built into the contract between the two, some sort of provision around working hours and expectations to try and from the outset, to engage the client in understanding what’s reasonable and how your staff will work.”

Cultural and Regional Differences

The session also noted differences in approach to wellbeing across different countries and cultures. While some countries like Ireland and the UK are making strides, participants from Greece noted a lack of similar initiatives in their country.

Conclusion

The experts agreed that while progress is being made, there’s still much work to be done to improve well being in the legal profession. As Moriarty pointed out, “It’s not enough anymore… to just do it person by person. It has to be built into the policies, the practices for your people, and there needs to be regular checking back in on your perceptions level.”

By implementing comprehensive wellbeing strategies, engaging with clients, and focusing on cultural change, law firms and legal organisations can work towards taking the pain out of legal work and creating healthier, more sustainable work environments for lawyers.

Related

The AI Crossroads: A Practical Guide for Law Firms in 2025

Bridging the Generation Gap: New Perspectives on Legal Team Management

The Strategic Power of Voice: Transforming Legal Practice Through Podcasting

From Courtroom to Legal Tech: Essential Skills When Evolving Your Career

Beyond Transactions: The Art of Authentic Client Relationships in Legal Services

Related

The AI Crossroads: A Practical Guide for Law Firms in 2025

Bridging the Generation Gap: New Perspectives on Legal Team Management

The Strategic Power of Voice: Transforming Legal Practice Through Podcasting

From Courtroom to Legal Tech: Essential Skills When Evolving Your Career

Beyond Transactions: The Art of Authentic Client Relationships in Legal Services

Mastering Legal Directory Rankings

Is Legal Tech Really Broken? A Fresh Perspective on the Industry’s Evolution

Innovating in Law: A Practical Guide to Change

Achieving Your Legal Career Goals Without Burnout: A Guide for 2025

Building Your International Legal Brand: Lessons from a UK IP Pioneer

2024 International Arbitration Highlights: A Year of Fragmentation

New Year’s Resolutions for Lawyers: A Strategic Approach to Growth

AI in Legal Practice: Blessing or Curse?

Business Planning for Small Law Firms: A Practical Guide to Success

Leveraging AI in Legal Practice: From Efficiency to Intelligence

Managing Business Development Across Multiple Offices: Breaking Down Silos

The Evolving Face of Law Firm Partnership: New Research Reveals Shifting Priorities

Working with International Teams: Keys to Cross-Border Success

Legal Directory Rankings: A Strategic Guide to Success

Building Your Legal Brand: A Young Lawyer’s Guide to Business Development

Getting the Deal Done: A Business Advisor’s Strategic Perspective

Building Key Client Relationships: Insights from Both Sides of the Table

Surviving and Thriving at Year-End: A Psychotherapist’s Guide for Legal Professionals

Innovation at the Core: Rethinking Legal Practice for the Modern Era

Ethics in Law: Navigating Professional Responsibilities in a Global Context

The Latest Trends in Legal Tech: Insights from the Frontline

Finding Your Ideal Legal Clients: The Art of Market Segmentation

The Future of Legal Shared Services: A Strategic Tool for Modern Law Firms

Introduction to a Career as a Legal Engineer: Bridging Law and Technology

The Path to Partnership: How Lawyers Can Make It

To Coach or Not to Coach in Law Firms, a Professional Dilemma

The Legal MBA: Strategic Choices for Law Firm Management and How to Make Them

Building a Career in International Criminal Law & Human Rights

Do Clients Hire the Firm or the Lawyer?

How to Dual Qualify as a U.S. Attorney

Lessons from the AI Frontline: How A&O Shearman Implemented Harvey

Special Skills for Startup Lawyers

Navigating AI Governance: A Practical Guide for Law Firms

How to Build Your Legal Practice Through Strategic Referrals

Getting the Balance Right: How Much is Too Much for Legal Services?

Technology is Only the Tool: The Human Side of Legal Innovation

Top 10 Challenges of Running a Law Firm

Dual Qualifying as a Solicitor in England and Wales: A Practical Guide

First Steps in Understanding English Contract Law

How to Do More with Less: Productivity Strategies for Legal Professionals

Introduction to Alternative Legal Service Providers

Why Small Law Firms Need to Move Quickly to Survive

Taking the Pain Out of Work – Wellbeing in the Legal Profession

Setting Effective Personal and Professional Goals in Legal

Winning Work in the Legal Profession

Why Lawyers who Provide Feedback Build Better Business

Expert Insights on Building Legal AI Platforms

Expert Insights on Building the In-House as a Service Model

How to Identify Leadership Talent in Law Firms

How to Study Law in the UK

Get early access
to our community

Shape the future of legal

Apply as a moderator by filling and submitting this form.
We will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you. You can change your choice at any time by using the Manage consent link in this widget or by contacting us. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our Terms.

Get Early Access to our app

We will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you. You can change your choice at any time by using the Manage consent link in this widget or by contacting us. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our Terms.

Please fill out your details

We'll get back to you within 5 working days