The Brief:
Law’s burnout crisis deepens as young lawyers exit
New data and stories shine a spotlight on the profession’s culture
Juniors are burning out faster than ever.
A LawCare survey of 1,500 UK lawyers found those aged 26–35 face the worst wellbeing scores and highest burnout, with nearly 60% reporting poor mental health and 8 in 10 working beyond contracted hours.
One partner admitted, “Work has nearly broken me,” while a junior barrister said, “My work is slowly killing me.”
The warnings turned personal when DLA Piper trainee Inês Pinheiro quit just weeks into her training contract, saying burnout and Big Law’s “insecure overachiever” culture left her “collapsed” after one week. Pinheiro, who went viral for her unconventional journey into the City, said: “Big Law is not a safe environment for recovering overachievers.”
And the issue isn’t confined to law.
Vitoria Okuyama, a former junior tennis star turned Citi banker in the US, described hitting burnout twice — once on the court, once in finance — and only recovering by knowing when to walk away.
LawCare wants firms to act:
lighter workload
trained managers
reformed legal education
Without change, it warns, the profession risks a talent exodus, worsening wellbeing and collapsing public trust.