Spotlight on “crisis of well-being” in attorney ranks

Sometimes seemingly endless hours. Imminent deadlines. Scrambles for accurate information. Intense competition. Family absences.

And client disapproval.

Those and many other pressures are cited in studies and reports chronicling the types of challenges that attorneys in California and elsewhere face in their client representation. Many professions stand out for their proverbial bumps in the road, but it is likely that – perhaps aside from doctors – no career realm is so often spotlighted for the grinding stresses that attorneys routinely confront.

We duly note many of them on our website at the proven license-defense Century Law Group, LLP (with multiple offices spanning California). We underscore that California attorneys often face intense scrutiny from state bar regulators and must sometimes defend themselves in formal disciplinary actions. Accusations against lawyers – even the most industrious and committed practitioners – feature claims of incompetence, bad faith, financial infidelity, substance abuse and other ethics violations. Any of those challenges pose an imminent career threat, leading potentially to license suspension or revocation.

A recent article on the notably high level of stress in the legal profession points to a “crisis” in the making, referencing a study that well documents the above-cited challenges.

That research has been taken to heart by Supreme Court justices in one state, who claim that highly placed legal authorities and regulators have a duty to deescalate legal tension and promote practitioners’ well-being. The judges say that more attention needs to be paid to reducing stress-triggering factors and promoting “healthfulness.”

That is a welcome judicial focus, of course, and worthy of fullest exploration. The profession as a whole obviously benefits from dampened-down stress, as do client outcomes.

California attorneys facing formal licensing challenges can turn to knowledgeable and passionate license-defense advocates for support and diligent legal representation.