LawCare: huge increase in legal professionals with career concerns

Mental wellbeing charity LawCare's 2022 impact report was published in January, showing that nearly a quarter (22%) of those contacting the charity for support were primarily concerned about their careers.

This signals a dramatic increase in career concerns, up from just over 8% in 2021 and equalling the number of legal professionals seeking help because of stress.

Most of the people getting in touch were at the beginning of their careers, with 60% either trainees/pupils or qualified less than five years, leading LawCare to suggest “junior legal professionals are still not getting the emotional support they need in their workplace”.

Elizabeth Rimmer, chief executive of LawCare, suggested professionals questioning their legal careers may be a response to the pandemic: “Legal professionals could be reflecting on what they want from life and work and be less willing to stay in careers or workplaces that don’t meet their needs and expectations and could be undermining their mental health.”

She said there were “a wide range of career concerns raised, from struggles with training to become a lawyer to wanting to retire early” and that the charity is “hearing from people who don’t see law as a lifelong career”.