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By Jeralyn Lawrence, Esq.
Lawyers suffer from depression, anxiety, and substance abuse at far higher rates than the general population. Burnout and drinking are common. The Putting Lawyers First Task Force surveyed lawyers and board on the 1649 responses, the results were sobering and staggering. Nearly 49% of lawyers report feeling burned out—twice the rate of other working populations. Attrition in law firms is at an all-time high.
A staggering 68% of lawyers report feeling anxious—five times higher than the national average. 56% report alcohol misuse—four and a half times higher than the national rate—and 14% admit to drug misuse, which is one and a half times higher than published comparative data. 49% report feeling isolated, 28% have considered leaving the profession, and 23% experience depressive symptoms—two and a half times higher than other working groups. More than half (52%) report feeling bad about themselves or as if they have let their families down.
Most alarmingly, 10% of lawyers have experienced suicidal thoughts. That’s roughly 164 lawyers—and tragically, not all of them survive. Even after hearing these statistics at a bar association event, a colleague in the audience later took his own life.
If we consider that number—164—it is heartbreaking to imagine what it would mean if all of them acted on those thoughts.
California and the D.C. Bar conducted similar surveys and found that lawyers with high stress levels are 22 times more likely to contemplate suicide than those with lower stress. Younger lawyers, particularly those under 34, are four to six times more likely to report depression or anxiety. The first three years of practice are the most vulnerable, and associates in that window are often the least enthusiastic about the profession.
We do not need more surveys to confirm this. The data is clear: there is a crisis in lawyer mental health. The real question is—what are we going to do about it?
Nearly 74% of respondents said they work weekends, and 52% are expected to be available outside normal hours. This constant availability erodes boundaries between work and life. Lawyers who feel they can never disconnect are 16 times more likely to experience burnout. The “always-on” culture leaves little room for rest or recovery, and many lawyers feel guilty for taking time off.
49% of lawyers report moderate to high isolation. Those who almost always feel isolated at work are 10 times more likely to report depression than those who rarely feel that way.
Heavy student loan debt, billing pressures, and client payment battles add constant stress. Lawyers often face financial and emotional strain even while appearing successful.
Lawyers without adequate staff are three times more likely to report depression and burnout. Many respondents expressed frustration with poor firm support and unrealistic workloads.
71% of solo practitioners have no succession plan, which creates chronic uncertainty. Young lawyers frequently report inadequate mentoring, heavy debt, and secondary trauma from stressful or emotional cases.
Law is inherently combative, and constant conflict breeds stress, incivility, and exhaustion. The profession’s mantra—“If you’re not working, someone else is”—destroys balance and fuels decline.
Few firms actively promote wellness. The billable hour model rewards busyness, not balance. Stigma also prevents lawyers from seeking help—many fear showing vulnerability or being perceived as weak. Others cite the cost of therapy or lack of insurance coverage as barriers to treatment.
28% of lawyers have considered leaving the profession due to mental health struggles, stress, or burnout. This toll extends far beyond the workplace—affecting marriages, children, and friendships. When lawyer performance declines, clients and the justice system suffer too.
And it is not just lawyers. Judges are struggling as well.
A 2019 National Judicial Stress and Resiliency Survey of 1,034 U.S. judges revealed that:
Judges, like lawyers, are overburdened and emotionally stretched thin.
According to the Putting Lawyers First survey, 78% of respondents believe the judiciary has a direct impact on attorney wellbeing. They identified several steps the courts could take:
These measures could significantly reduce unnecessary pressure and improve professional wellness.
Many of us entered the legal field out of passion—for justice, for advocacy, for helping others. I love being a lawyer. I have three children, and all of them believe law school is their destiny—it is practically a family tradition. But I will admit this: the work is far harder than I ever imagined.
We have all watched colleagues break down—those who cannot sleep, who struggle with anxiety or depression, who drink too much just to cope. Some haven’t taken a full week off in five years. They can list endless reasons: clients are demanding, firms discourage rest, courts deny adjournments, adversaries refuse to cooperate. The system is structured against wellness.
Yet, we can do better. We can be better adversaries, better colleagues, and better human beings to one another.
It starts with small, intentional changes—checking in on a colleague, setting boundaries, normalizing rest, and recognizing that strength doesn’t come from exhaustion. The law will always demand much from us, but we owe it to ourselves—and to those who will follow in our footsteps—to build a profession that values both excellence and empathy. The next generation of lawyers deserves to see that success and wellness are not mutually exclusive. We also need a culture change within the judiciary and our profession. A change that recognizes the pace of this profession is not sustainable and efforts need to be made collaboratively between the bench and bar to build in systems of breaks or pauses as needed so the profession becomes more manageable and as a result, well.
To learn more about the Putting Layers First initiative, visit lawlawfirm.com/putting-lawyers-first.
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