Massachusetts
has
a
lot
going
for
it.
Harvard
is
there,
for
one.
They
also
have
that
funny
little
way
of
pronouncing
the
word
“yard”
like
they’re
throwing
it
from
their
mouths.
And
uhm…
I’m
sure
there’s
something
else,
right?
That
third
thing
may
be
just
what
it
takes
to
make
practicing
in
New
England
a
bit
more
bearable.
Because
folks
are
having
a
hard
time
logging
those
billables
at
the
moment.
From
Reuters:
Massachusetts
lawyers
are
burned
out
and
experiencing
elevated
rates
of
anxiety
and
depression,
according
to
a
study
released
Wednesday
that
adds
to
a
growing
body
of
research
documenting
mental
health
problems
within
the
legal
profession.Researchers
with
the
Lawyers
Concerned
for
Lawyers
and
NORC
at
the
University
of
Chicago
surveyed
4,450
Massachusetts
attorneys
last
year
for
the
latest
study.
Across
the
state,
77%
reported
feeling
burned
out,
26%
reported
high
rates
of
anxiety,
21%
reported
depression
and
7%
reported
suicidal
thoughts
—
all
higher
than
average
for
U.S.
adults.The
survey
also
found
high
rates
of
alcohol
consumption,
with
42%
of
respondents
reporting
unhealthy
or
hazardous
use.
Now,
barring
they
didn’t
make
an
methodological
error
and
only
got
the
opinions
of
people
who
were
basically
crying
out
for
help
—
say
lawyers
looking
to
go
see
Pagliacci
or
Adult
Swifties™,
for
example,
that’s
a
healthy
sample
size
of
people
to
be
that
down
bad.
And
while
lawyers
have
had
disproportionately
high
rates
of
drinking
for
a
while
now,
a
42%
self-reported
rate
of
unhealthy
or
hazardous
use
is
too
close
to
comfort
to
half.
One
outlier
may
have
colored
the
data:
COVID-19.
That
said,
the
results
are
likely
still
worth
heeding.
“Almost
half
indicated
they
considered
leaving
their
legal
employer,
and
40%
reported
considering
leaving
the
legal
profession
entirely
in
the
last
three
years
due
to
burnout
or
stress,”
according
to
the
study, Lawyer
Well-Being
in
Massachusetts.The
timing
of
the
survey,
which
was
conducted
amid
the
COVID-19
pandemic,
likely
contributed
to
higher
rates
of
reported
burnout
and
anxiety,
the
authors
said.
But
it
was
consistent
with
earlier
findings
that
lawyers
have
higher
rates
of
substance
abuse
and
mental
health
problems
than
the
general
population
and
other
professions.
This
gleams
some
advice
even
non-Massachusetts
based
firms
may
want
to
keep
in
mind:
it
may
be
in
their
own
best
interests
to
chill
on
strict
return-to-office
policies.
Who
really
wants
to
add
gossiping
into
the
depressive
brew
at
this
point?
Burning
through
associates
may
have
been
a
viable
economic
tactic
at
one
point,
but
with
burnout
rates
like
these,
your
bottom
dollar
could
get
singed
too.
Burnout,
anxiety
and
depression
was
especially
high
among
minority
groups,
the
new
Massachusetts
study
found.
The
burnout
rate
among
Black
and
Hispanic
lawyers
was
86%
and
88%,
respectively,
compared
to
77%
among
white
lawyers.
Attorneys
with
childcare
responsibilities
also
reported
higher
rates
of
burnout.The
survey
found
that
nearly
half
of
the
lawyers
who
screened
positive
for
depression,
anxiety
or
suicidal
thoughts
did
not
seek
mental
health
care.
The
researchers
attributed
that
to
stigma
surrounding
mental
health
issues,
as
well
as
time
constraints
and
fear
of
professional
reprisals.
The
fear
of
professional
reprisal
is
palpable
—
remember
the
guy
who
wanted
to
get
a
woman
canned
for
“sitting
on
her
ass”
during
maternity
leave?
The
partner
is
dead,
long
live
the
firm
mentality
is,
oddly
enough,
great
for
the
firm
and
very
hard
on
partners
and
associates.
They’re
the
ones
in
the
oak
box,
after
all.
Thankfully,
the
study
ends
on
a
pragmatic
note.
Lawyers
who
reported
having
a
supportive
work
environment
where
they
are
treated
with
kindness
and
respect,
given
flexibility
and
have
access
to
mentorship
had
higher
satisfaction
with
life
and
lower
rates
of
burnout,
anxiety
and
depression,
the
study
found.
So,
Boston
lawyers
and
whoever
else
the
shoe
fits
for,
you
work
all
those
hours
for
the
firm,
why
not
work
on
yourself
a
little?
Take
a
day
or
two
off,
talk
to
a
therapist
—
maybe
even
find
one
online.
And
hey,
if
that
means
lateraling
to
a
firm
that
treats
you
like
an
actual
person,
so
be
it.
Burnout.
Depression.
Red
Flags
Abound
In
Massachusetts
Lawyer
Study
[Reuters]
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
cannot
swim, a
published
author
on
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.