Great attorneys burn out – law firms can reverse this trend by doing some things differently, including engaging young associates in all facets of case management, recognizing achievements, encouraging a collegial work environment, implementing a formal mentorship program, implementing a constructive review system, instituting a formal program for client development, considering flexibility, and training in time billing. Attorney burnout is soaring, with over 50% of lawyers reporting burnout frequently.
In today’s fast-paced legal world, even highly skilled attorneys increasingly face burnout. A recent survey found that lawyers reported feeling burned out about 52% of the time, the highest level since that study began. For a firm like Flex Staffing and Recruiting, which works closely with law firms and legal talent, we often hear why great attorneys burn out, and more importantly, what firms can do differently to retain, support and engage their top people.
Why great attorneys burn out
Based on attorney polling, the following factors contribute the most to attorney burnout:
1. Intense workload + billable hour pressure. Many law firms still operate under the traditional billable-hour model that drives long hours, limited recovery time, and a “constant on‐call” mentality. Often, firms have a stated minimum billable requirement, and the real requirement is much higher. One study found lawyers worked an average of 53 hours per week, with some billing over 80 hours in their busiest weeks.
2. Emotional, cognitive, and stress overload. Attorneys often handle high-stakes matters, adversity, client crises and heavy responsibility. This emotional strain accumulates. For example, one report found attorneys experiencing disrupted sleep (83%), anxiety (81%), and relationship issues (47%) when their well-being declined.
3. Lack of meaningful boundaries and recovery. Many attorneys report feeling unable to disconnect, check out of work, or step away from deadlines. This constant activation leaves little room for regrouping, regenerating, and de-stressing. One global study reported two‐thirds of legal professionals had experienced burnout.
4. Associate attorneys often feel disconnected from “the firm” and can’t see how they fit into the future of the firm. Many associates report that they do not understand the partnership track of the firm, they have no guidance as to client development, and the “mentorship program” is in name only. They report that no one has their back or cares about their development as an attorney. “If you are not billing well over the billable requirement of the firm, you are not valued.”
5. Associate attorneys report feeling trapped in a type of law practice that they do not enjoy, and report that there is no opportunity to change sections or practices.
6. “Work is your life” culture and failure to recognize attorney achievements. When high performers feel undervalued, trapped in administrative work, or misaligned with firm values, burnout risk escalates. A lack of recognition or meaningful connection to purpose compounds the problem.
7. Many associate attorneys report that they have no social outlet or opportunity to engage with the firm leaders. Some report that firm leaders are unapproachable or unavailable. One associate reported that the CEO of the firm did not recognize him on multiple occasions in non-work social engagements.
Burnout doesn’t only harm well‐being — it’s costly to the firm. For instance, one research article cites that attrition of burned-out lawyers can cost a firm $200K–$500K per lawyer lost.
Great attorneys burn out – what attorneys say law firms can do differently
Based on attorney polling, the following strategies help reduce burnout and improve retention, performance, and culture:
A. Engage associates in all facets of the practice. Bring young associates to hearings, trials, depositions, client meetings, and client investigations. When associates are ready to manage cases independently, allow them to take depositions, attend hearings, and meet clients without supervision.
B. Build mechanisms that recognize attorney achievements, such as peer shout-outs, public celebration of positive client feedback, and small wins.
C. Ensure that attorneys are being seen and appreciated, and feel connected to the firm outside of work. Encourage work-sponsored social engagements where upper management is required to attend and socialize with the younger associates.
D. Have a formal mentorship program assigning each new associate to one or two attorney mentors for the duration of their time as an associate. This should be a structured program that is monitored.
E. Have a formal review system of the associate’s progress that is constructive, not destructive. Require the mentors to deliver attorney reviews to their mentees. And, allow the mentors to talk candidly with the reviewers so there is an honest exchange, and a kind and productive delivery of messages. The objective is to communicate so the associate can grow and evolve his/her work product, communication skills, and client interactions with confidence and excitement for the future.
F. Ensure attorneys see how their work supports the firm’s strategy, including transparency regarding the firm’s partnership track and compensation trajectory.
G. Have a formal program that educates young attorneys on client development. Often, attorneys don’t understand that client development is a part of the practice of law and that compensation is often tied to originations. See https://flexstaffrecruit.com/high-earning-indispensable-equity-attorney/
- Encourage associates to establish relationships with existing partners. Retiring partners often pass their clients on to associate attorneys whom they trust.
- Mandate speaking engagements at CLE’s or other legal forums.
- Encourage partners to introduce associates to current clients.
- With partner support, guide young associates to target potential clients and present RFPs.
- Support associates in becoming an expert in a growing legal field, or an area of the law that the firm does not currently service.
- Encourage associates to reach out to other lawyers for referrals.
H. Monitor burnout indicators and act early.
- Use pulse surveys, check-in meetings and key metrics (hours worked, leave taken, wellness program utilization) to identify stress risks early.
- When someone shows warning signs (withdrawal, cynicism, fatigue, error rate) provide timely support or workload adjustment.
I. Recognize an attorney’s strength and capitalize on that strength while considering flexibility.
- If an attorney is excellent at writing briefs and would happily write briefs for the duration of his/her career, discuss and consider this as an option.
- If an associate attorney is fantastic in court, in depositions, in hearings, but does not enjoy writing, consider allowing this attorney to work exclusively on the trial teams.
- If an associate attorney likes to work odd hours but has high billable hour production and collections, consider being flexible.
- If an attorney who is valued wants to change sections or add a practice area to his/her practice, be flexible and supportive.
J. Consider a program that allows associates to work for multiple sections and practice areas for the first full year of their employment.
K. Train attorneys to capture billable time contemporaneously, and use AI and other systems to streamline the tedious aspects of law practice.
- According to attorney polls, capturing billable time is the number one stressor of practicing law. This task becomes exponentially more stressful when time is not captured instantaneously. Train young associates to capture billable time moment by moment as a part of the job. Mandate that all time must be captured by the end of each day. This will prevent procrastination and unnecessary stress.
- Assist in capturing billable time by delegating some portion of the task to one or two non-lawyer employees, AI, or other platforms.
- Use AI to assist with the review of large sets of documents.
- Use AI to assist with brief writings.
The business case for change
Beyond moral and individual reasons, addressing attorney burnout is good business. Lower turnover means lower costs for recruitment, onboarding, and lost productivity. Higher engagement leads to better client outcomes, stronger referrals, and a reputation for being a “place lawyers want to work.” As legal talent becomes more selective, firms that prioritize well‐being gain a competitive advantage.
The takeaway
Great attorneys burn out not because they’re weak — but because the system around them is unsustainable. For law firms, the imperative is clear: provide a supportive, flexible work environment, communicate, reduce unnecessary stress drivers, and care about mentoring associates to ensure an enjoyable and successful career path with colleagues that they trust and admire. When firms do that, they not only protect their people — they elevate their performance, reputation, and bottom line.
At FlexStaffRecruit, we partner with law firms and legal professionals to build healthier, more sustainable staffing models. If your firm is facing burnout risks, high attrition, or engagement challenges, we’re here to help you rethink how work works — the result: better talent, better outcomes, better business.
Call to Action
Ready to secure top-tier legal talent without the burnout? Contact FlexStaffRecruit today and explore our staffing and consulting solutions designed for a sustainable, high-performing legal workforce. [email protected]