In Case You Haven't Heard…

Nearly half of U.S. lawyers screened positive for high burnout in a new national study examining mental health and well‐being in the legal profession. The study, conducted by the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and Krill Strategies, analyzed responses from a random sample of approximately 37,000 actively licensed lawyers across 28 jurisdictions. Overall, 47.4% of lawyers screened positive for high burnout, including 15.6% who met the threshold for severe burnout. About one‐fifth also reported moderate‐to‐extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress. Researchers found 21.7% met that threshold for depression, 20.4% for anxiety and 18.9% for stress. Respondents also reported challenges balancing professional and personal life, with 35.9% indicating high or very high work‐family conflict. Compared with a landmark 2016 ABA/Hazelden Betty Ford study, the prevalence of at least mild symptoms increased across depression, anxiety and stress. The new research provides a 10‐year update on mental health and well‐being in the legal profession.