It’s no secret that the legal industry is stressful. Tight deadlines, substantial workloads, and difficult cases all combine to create a culture that is often detrimental to the mental well-being of attorneys and firm administrators. Recent lawyer suicides have brought even more light to this serious issue.
According to Reuters, which cites a 2023 Krill Strategies and University of Minnesota study, lawyers are twice as likely as the average adult to contemplate suicide, and attorneys who considered their jobs high-stress were twenty-two times more prone to considering suicide than those who called their jobs low-stress.[1] Despite the increased research and heightened awareness, the mental health crisis in the legal industry hasn’t shown many signs of abating.
Association of Legal Administrators (“ALA”) members—and law firm leaders as a whole—have often been tasked with finding solutions to one of the industry’s more intractable issues. Here are five strategies firm leaders can use to help promote employee well-being and, as a result, increase retention, productivity, and profitability.
No. 1: Look at Billing Requirements
One of the main pressure points in the legal industry is meeting billable-hour requirements. Attorneys often work late, early, and on weekends or holidays to log their necessary hours. While many have accepted this as “the way things work,” leaders of the modern law firm should ask themselves whether this kind of overwork should still be inherent to the practice of law. Except in the most urgent cases, what work is accomplished at 10 p.m. that can’t wait until the next morning?
There is often the presumption that clients expect 24/7, 365-days-a-year service from their attorneys. However, as long as quality work is done during the day, clients tend to appreciate a firm’s commitment to the well-being of their employees. Of course, communication is key in this regard, as firms should be up-front about the expectations that clients should have when working with their attorneys.
A frequent counterargument to reducing billable hour requirements is that it would hurt firm profitability. In many cases, that may be true in the short term. But a longer-term view shows that decreased pressure to produce creates better-quality work, happier employees, and increased client satisfaction. Considering that word of mouth holds significant weight in the legal industry, lawyers who enjoy the firm at which they work are more likely to pitch their firm to high-value laterals or promising young associates.
Firm leaders may also want to consider changing their billing method entirely. Fixed fees and value-based pricing are two ways that firms can de-emphasize the billable hour while providing consistency for their clients and ensuring that the work done best serves the clients’ needs. This kind of change is not easy but can be a concrete way for a firm to demonstrate its commitment to reducing the stress of an already demanding job.
No. 2: Embrace Diversity and Inclusion
In any workplace, mental health can suffer when employees do not feel accepted or included by their employer or coworkers. The legal industry has historically been known as having a higher barrier to entry for women, people of color, and other minority groups. But in recent years, firms have put more effort into promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (“DEIA”)—to much positive acclaim.
What makes a DEIA program effective differs from firm to firm, but the most successful often include events centered around cultural celebrations (such as Pride Month and African American History Month); awareness campaigns surrounding microaggressions and other problematic behaviors; and employee resource groups that consist of like-minded attorneys and staff who can support, mentor, and advise each other on a regular basis.
The topic of DEIA is especially crucial today as many large organizations have begun to roll back their diversity initiatives amid the current political environment or for other reasons, such as a lack of buy-in or financial support from those in charge. However, many clients still want their firms to show progress on advancing diversity, so it behooves firms to continue making DEIA a priority in their strategic planning.
From a wellness perspective, a demonstrated commitment toward supporting employees no matter their backgrounds goes a long way in making them feel comfortable being their true selves at work.
No. 3: Utilize Employee Benefits
Today, many benefit programs offer mental health support, whether through insurance allowances for therapy and other mental health treatment, or through Employee Assistance Programs (“EAPs”). Hopefully, your firm is already making these options available to your employees. If not, now is the time to assess what you’ll want to include in your next benefit package.
EAPs can be a particularly crucial resource, as they allow employees and their families to seek help during different types of crises—including mental health—without encountering the (unfortunate) stigma that often accompanies such admissions in the workplace. It’s important for attorneys and staff to know to whom they can turn when struggling with their mental wellness.
No. 4: Explore New Technologies
While there has been much trepidation about the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the legal industry—understandably so—there is one way in which it undoubtedly helps: efficiency. So much of the practice of law involves time-consuming tasks, such as extensive research and drafting myriad legal briefs. Though they must be used with caution, the AI tools available are cutting down the time it takes to complete those tasks, which in turn can help reduce burnout and job dissatisfaction.
No. 5: Engage the Legal Community
The issue of suicide hit close to home for ALA in 2023, when a member of our Middle Tennessee Chapter tragically took her own life. Those in the legal administration community wanted to make sure lessons were learned from such a devastating loss. Members from the chapter created a Mental Health Task Force to increase dialogue and bring awareness and education to help prevent a similar tragedy from happening in their community again. They also reached out to the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program, which supports lawyers and judges in need. While the program hasn’t extended to legal administrative professionals, the chapter is currently working to make that happen.
While resources may differ between states, the Middle Tennessee Chapter has offered a shining example of how the legal community can band together to make positive change when it comes to mental health awareness and support. Perhaps it starts within a firm or a town before extending to a group of firms or a larger locality.
Burnout and other overwhelming feelings of stress are real, and it is incumbent on all law firm leaders to address them before they turn into a crisis or, even worse, a suicide. The statistics are alarming, but the community’s response can alleviate this situation. With these strategies in hand, firms can be well prepared to ease some of the stress on attorneys and staff and make mental well-being a strong priority.
If you or someone you care about is struggling, confidential help is available for free by calling or texting 988 or going to the 988 Lifeline.[2]
Jenna Greene, Stressed, Lonely, Overworked: What New Study Tells Us About Lawyer Suicide Risk, Reuters (Feb. 15, 2023). ↑
988 Lifeline (last visited Jan. 25, 2025). ↑
