I recently published an article entitled, “Lawyers’ Mental Health: It’s Time to “Walk the Walk” in the Winter 2024 edition of the Solicitor’s Journal, a regular publication of the New Brunswick branch of the Canadian Bar Association.
In this article, I examine the issue of mental health within the legal profession, citing alarming statistics that reveal high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout among lawyers. I acknowledge the efforts made by individuals, bar associations and law societies to address mental health concerns and discuss the recent Sherbrooke Report, which extensively examines mental health issues in the legal field. However, I argue that although awareness has increased, more tangible actions are needed. The article emphasizes the significance of mentoring, particularly by legal professionals who openly share their own mental health struggles.
I wrote this article following the release of the Sherbrooke University Report, Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Practice of Law in Canada, Phase I – 2020-2022. I felt that this report represents such an important step in acknowledging the mental health troubles in our profession. I hope to continue to contribute to the dialogue on lawyer mental health in a positive way.
“Lawyers often deal with
clients at the crossroads of some of the
most difficult situations in their lives.
They work long hours and struggle
to balance work and family life” – Timothy T. Culbert
A copy of this edition of the Solicitor’s Journal is available at the link below.