The legal profession has no shortage of mental health initiatives. From wellness webinars to employee assistance programs (EAPs) and “resilience” toolkits, law firms have been signaling care for some time now. Despite this, burnout, disengagement, and disillusionment remain pervasive, especially among junior lawyers, women, legal support staff, and those working in high-pressure practice areas.
Awareness is not enough. And it is time to stop asking how lawyers can better manage stress, and start asking a more fundamental question:
What kind of legal profession are we designing — and how is that design shaping lawyer wellbeing?
As innovative technologies, hybrid work models, and performance pressures redefine legal practice, they are also reshaping the mental and emotional demands placed on lawyers. It is worth taking a broader, more systemic view of how those forces interact and where they may be headed next.
