Working in a law firm can induce a lot of negative stress which is something aspiring lawyers are not taught or trained to deal with and cope with within the process of preparing to become a lawyer. High-pressure working environments, client expectations, and little to no support are a few common factors that can cause negative work-related stress.
The Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) 2019 well-being survey found that 58% of junior lawyers had considered taking time off work for poor mental health but consequently never followed through with the thought; 60% of junior lawyers poor mental health has negatively impacted their physical health, detailing being physically sick or chest pains; 19% of junior lawyers said that their employer was aware of their poor mental health, however, the survey did not disclose whether employers were supportive and or willing to help.
Learning to cope with new working environments as well as trying to establish a career, alongside client demands, high targets & workloads are aspects of the job which are not catered to regarding preparation as well as once you become a lawyer. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) suitability test does not measure emotional resilience and whether someone can withstand all that comes with being a lawyer. Although many are likely to anticipate the expectation of what it is to be a lawyer, the reality of it can often outweigh what was once thought.
Additionally, since the plight of the pandemic, the pressures that were already present have been heightened even more due to lockdown restrictions; a third of junior lawyers (UK) believe that their mental health is suffering even more as a result of the coronavirus in comparison to only a quarter of senior solicitors who have said the same. Research undertaken by Douglas Scott Legal Recruiters found that working from home has mostly been a neutral and or a positive experience for the 31,000 solicitors whom they surveyed across England and Wales, however, one in four had stated that they believe that lockdown and working from home has harmed their mental health. The findings of the research indicated that of the large proportion of lawyers who have been working from home, less than a third of them had noticed negative changes in their mental health.
As well as the heightened pressures of working as a lawyer through lockdown, the support from firms and senior members of staff in the unprecedented, extraordinary circumstance have also notably not been reported to be positive. One lawyer who posted via a Legal Cheek chat thread that he/she had found it seems difficult to keep in touch with colleagues and found that there was little no support, especially during this time.
However, despite all the aforementioned, there is an increase in the number of firms and groups who are trying to change the statistic regarding junior lawyers’ mental health. Kayleigh Leigh – who is involved with the JLD since 2010 – put together a guidance document that can facilitate junior lawyers in being able to develop emotional resilience without neglecting their mental health and the demands of the job; this document can also be found via lawsociety.org.uk. As well as aiding junior lawyers, the document is also designed to encourage firms to take a more active approach when concerning mental health and hope that more can be done to support lawyers who are struggling mentally.
To conclude, it is evident that taking on the role of being a lawyer comes with high expectations, high demands, client expectations and emotional resilience, however, all of those things can contribute to poor mental health for junior lawyers. The pressures that come with being a lawyer are not aspects of the job that are taught or trained and consequently can lead to being ill-equipped when trying to manage a career as well as looking after your mental health. Subsequently, it is noticeable that firms are not doing enough to aid their staff in coping with the realities; there are now guidance documents and an increase in mental health awareness via organisations that will offer junior lawyers more support.
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