Many people experience anxiety – worrying about a trial, concern for office politics, wondering where the next case or matter will come from, juggling work and family life. Practicing law can cause anxiety whether you practice in a law firm, for the government, in a corporation, or some other setting, but stress management is not taught in law school.

According to experts, focusing for a few minutes each day on things for which we are grateful can help reduce anxiety. For example, I am grateful for the incredible support I receive from my staff, other attorneys, and my family; for my good health and high energy; and for the opportunity to lead other attorneys and serve in whatever way I can.

But, to succeed in fostering wellness in the profession, we must address and probably change some of the core ways that we practice law. We need to take the lead from newer attorneys who have a better understanding than long-time lawyers do on how to seek a reasonable work-life balance.

Should we reduce the emphasis on the billable hour or on having attorneys reach a certain number of billed hours? Should we require attorneys to take their vacation or paid time off? Should we redefine employee benefits, such as short-term and long-term disability, not for economic reasons, but as a wellness package for attorneys and staff?

The State Bar of Wisconsin has spent several years studying lawyer wellness. In December 2021, the Task Force on Wisconsin Lawyer Well-Being issued its report,¹ which reviews the issues and suggests ways that employers and lawyers can focus on wellness. An article discussing the report’s 72 recommendations appeared in the July/August 2022 Wisconsin Lawyer.² In October, Julie M. Spoke presented“Lawyer Self Care: Why It Matters and Putting it into Practice” at the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Solo & Small Firm Conference. And at the recent Great Rivers Bar Association meeting, leaders of nine state bar associations discussed these and other topics.

State bar associations are working on wellness issues primarily to improve the lives of their members. But focusing on wellness is not only important for lawyers who are practicing now and for the profession; it also will be a retention issue going forward. Newer attorneys have more job choices than in the past. They are likely to select a position that will provide them with a better work-life balance than when I started practicing, when billable hours were supreme. Many attorneys are in two-earner households, and income might not be the chief determinant of which job to choose. Lawyers and bar associations must think of ways to foster longevity in the profession, not only for long-term employees, but also as attorneys with long careers. We want loyalty from our staff and attorneys, but we need to provide a working environment to which they feel loyal.

Although I don’t have the answers, I know that the profession must move toward allowing lawyers and legal staff a better work-life balance. For this I am grateful.

Endnotes

1 Lawyer Well-Being: Changing the Climate of Wisconsin’s Legal Profession, https://tinyurl.com/t22rzna5.

2 Jeff M. Brown, ‘It’s Hard to See That We’re Still Struggling’: Task Force Report on Wisconsin Lawyer Well-Being, 95 Wis. Law. 14 (July/Aug. 2022).

» Cite this article: 95 Wis. Law. 4 (December 2022).