The Top 10 Ways Working as an Attorney in a Law Firm Ages (and K By Harrison Barnes from Los Angeles Office Managing Director
Summary: All attorneys strive for success in their law firms and want more responsibility, complex work, and gre to pay for accomplishing your goals. The stress of law firm life may cause many health problems, including prema This article discusses several ways the well-being of attorneys suffers from the constant demands of law firm life.
I've been a legal recruiter for twenty years now, and I follow up with candidates I have worked with and placed ge many of these candidates for the first time when they were in their mid-20s. Only a few years later, I started noticin dying--often in their late 30s and early 40s-most often, from heart attacks and cancer. For some reason, several d their body needed a break from their law firms before they would allow themselves to die. When I could no longe would lead to their obituaries.
Most of these obituaries talked about the attorney's personal life, like how they enjoyed spending time with their c hobbies--all pursuits that I doubted the attorney participated in all that much while they were practicing law becau all the time. For whatever reason, most of these obituaries were for attorneys who lived in New York or another la died early in smaller markets, but it seemed to be less common. See the following articles for more information: Finding Work/Life Balance
One of the least understood things about working inside of a law firm is that it can age and kill you prematurely--a many of my colleagues from when I was practicing law, and many have issues with their weight, teeth, skin and a permeate their faces. They could be making millions of dollars a year; however, the stress from their jobs is palpa some cases, if I have not seen them for a few years, I no longer even recognize them. This is not always the case clear to me there is really something going on. It goes beyond normal aging ...
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How could they look healthy? It is not healthy to sit in an office, in a chair, for more than a few thousand hours a year, to often not sleep enough, to not exercise, to eat unhealthy food, to have your family upset and disappointed in you because they do not see you enough, to never be vulnerable or share your feelings with others, to drink too much alcohol or abuse other substances, to deal with mental health issues caused by your work.
You cannot win it all. An associate can "win" by getting a few thousand dollars more in bonus for billing more hou bringing in lucrative clients, or billing more hours than their peers. You cannot win your family--because if you pro they are still going to be dissatisfied with you for not spending enough time with them. You can make all the mon family problems and more will be the price you pay for being a successful attorney There is not a lot of winning going on. It is a life filled with exhaustion, dread, criticism and work that often signifies nothing.
Numerous attorneys that I have known throughout the years have died quite young-some in their late 30s and oth cancer and other maladies that I honestly do not believe would have killed them had they not been so motivated, clients, good at their jobs and committed to practicing law in a law firm. See the following articles for more information: The #1 Attorney Career Killer That Attorneys Are Never Taught
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None of this may make sense for you. If you do not get the perspective and understand what is important and not find yourself living a life that has little meaning and which you do not enjoy. Every day that goes by that you are p nonsense for you--is one you cannot get back. There are many fun and enjoyable things out there in the world th need to stop doing what you are doing, or giving so much of yourself--if you want to.
If you stay with the program and do what others expect of you, try to please others and continually put forth the ef that you will age very prematurely-and you may also die quite young. The human body and mind are both amazi the abuse of a law office--most of the time--but it cannot always. Here are some of the ways working in a law office as an attorney ages you prematurely: Sitting Long Hours is Not Good for Attorneys, and Most of them Sit a Lot
As an attorney, you are rewarded for how much you sit at a desk and work. Attorneys inside of large law firms spe you sit, the better. You are expected to sit all the time.
I was talking to an attorney with his own firm last night. He has a 50-person law firm in Orange County and was c doing some legal work for one of my companies on an ongoing basis. He started telling me how everyone at his committed to it. He said he is there seven days a week and most of his partners and associates like what they do more than half of them there on a Friday night after 9:00 p.m. I have never heard of firms like that! That is a lot of s much time sitting at work they can no longer stand up!
Here is what the Mayo Clinic says about the dangers of sitting at your desk for a long period of time: When you sit, you use less energy than you do when you stand or move. Research has linked sitting for long health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions -- increased blood pressure, high blood sug and abnormal cholesterol levels -- that make up metabolic syndrome. Too much sitting overall and prolonged increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.[i]
This might explain why so many attorneys I know have died of heart attacks and cancer at young ages. Sitting is The study further noted that: An analysis of 13 studies of sitting time and activity levels found that those who sat for more than eight hours risk of dying similar to the risks of dying posed by obesity and smoking.[ii]
What attorney does not spend 8 hours a day behind a desk? This seems almost a requirement for being an attorn exercise. So working as an attorney is just as dangerous as being obese and smoking. I was amazed by all of the the negative effects of sitting on your body. Lack of Sleep is Not Good for Attorneys and Many of them Do Not Sleep Enough
Attorneys in New York with families take the train a lot. Some get up at 4:30 in the morning to catch trains and the the calculations, it would be almost impossible for many of them to sleep eight hours a night during the week. In L attorneys commute by car a few hours per day. They work long hours. While working long hours is necessary wh seem to never end. Attorneys run from one fire drill to another. They are also judged by how many hours they wo hours, they may lose their jobs, not earn a bonus, or jeopoardize their status at the firm in other ways.
I have not worked in a law firm in over two decades. Nevertheless, I have a recurring dream which I awake from i dream is always the same: I am in a law firm and days, or weeks have gone by, and I have not billed enough hou firm feeling paranoid and looking at my superiors to see if their faces betray their anger with me for not working e to lose my job in these dreams. I'm sure other attorneys have had similar nightmares on an ongoing basis. Attorn staying alive and succeeding means billing as many hours as possible, and it can never stop. The byproduct of th Page 3
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seems less damaging than than not billing enough hours.
Some of the other effects of lack of sleep include: Lack of sleep causes accidents. I once knew of an attorney who flipped his car after a few all-nighters and was in broken collarbone and other injuries. One attorney I know well had a blood vessel in one of her eyes explode aft without any sleep. Lack of sleep causes serious health problems. Lack of sleep can make you prone to heart disease, obesity, high sleep also increases the risk of stroke.[iv] Lack of sleep causes depression and anxiety. If you do not sleep enough, you may develop mental health issues Lack of sleep can make you gain weight. People who do not sleep enough are much more likely to gain weight. I appetite and cravings for foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates.[vi] Lack of sleep kills your sex drive.[vii] Lack of Sleep Ages Your Skin. One of the reasons that many of the attorneys I have encountered may look so old really mess with your skin and how you look. Most people have experienced sallowskinand puffyeyesafter a few nights of missed sleep. But it turns out tha lacklustre skin, fine lines, and dark circles under theeyes. When you don't get enough sleep, your body releas cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and ela
Sleep loss also causes the body to release too little human growth hormone. When we're young, human grow age, it helps increase muscle mass, thicken skin, and strengthen bones.
"It's during deep sleep - what we call slow-wave sleep - that growth hormone is released," says sleep expert P part of normal tissue repair - patching the wear and tear of the day."[viii]
Lack of sleep doubles your risk of death. Researchers have found that a lack of sleep doubles the risk of death fr factors.[ix]
Most attorneys have issues with lack of sleep. When there are deadlines, these attorneys may work for days at a morning and did not return home until a Sunday morning. This sort of story is not uncommon. However, the ongo what tend to do the most damage. See the following articles for more information: Lawyers, Guess What Can Help You Leave the Office at a Decent Hour: Time Management Not Exercising Enough is Not Good for Your Body and Most Attorneys Do Not Exercise Enough
Most attorneys do not exercise enough because they simply do not have the time. Exercise is the sort of luxury re the billable hour. If an attorney is not working, they are likely trying to spend time with their family, or (more often t or abusing other substances. Not exercising enough can cause the following health problems: Obesity Heart diseases, including coronary artery disease and heart attack High blood pressure High cholesterol Stroke Metabolic syndrome Type 2 diabetes Certain cancers, including colon, breast, and uterine cancers Osteoporosis and falls Increased feelings of depression and anxiety[x]
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In fact, some studies find that lack of exercise is just as bad for you as smoking.[xi] Not Eating Healthy Food (or Overeating or Undereating) is Bad for You and Many Attorneys Have Very Unhe
Because attorneys are often eating carryout food, or ordering food to the office, their diets are frequently quite un have little time at home, they may order food for delivery there, too. While there are multiple types of eating issue diet can create stress, weariness and contribute to numerous potential health issues, including: being overweight or obese tooth decay high blood pressure high cholesterol heart disease and stroke type-2 diabetes osteoporosis some cancers depression eating disorders.[xii] An Attorney's Family is Often Perpetually Disappointed in them Because their Family Feels Neglected and t
An attorney often misses childrens' events, is not home for dinner, leaves before their children get up in the morn way more time at the office than at home. Because of this, they are unable to form healthy ongoing relationships often feel neglected and uncared for. The attorneys constantly feel guilty, and like they cannot please their familie upset with them, the attorney may withdraw even more from their family and immerse themselves further into wor Children may experience problems in school, feel neglected, use drugs or act out in other ways. The problem is that if an attorney is not home enough, regardless of the money they may be bringing in, they are family will not feel supported. This creates numerous problems for the attorney and may lead to more stress and
See the following articles for more information: Work-life Balance & a Biglaw Job Is Work-life Balance a Realistic Goal at "Biglaw" Firms? The Best Attorneys are Often the Least Vulnerable, and This Leads to a Lack of Connection with Others, and
Attorneys are taught that it is bad to be vulnerable. If an attorney projects weakness at work, it is used against the vulnerable, this is also used against their clients. Attorneys are taught, generally, not to be vulnerable or project a
The problem with not being vulnerable is that if you are not vulnerable, you will have difficulty connecting with pe this will lead you to feel emotionally isolated. People who are unable to connect with others often feel quite depre can also cause a great deal of stress and leads to feelings of loneliness. People are fundamentally social animal are not ourselves. In the book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell discusses that people who live in connected communi health problems than those who are more isolated. Being connected to others is important in order to be healthy. example, when we do not have others to talk to about our feelings, provide us with comfort and give us love.
People who are unable to connect with others often find themselves abusing substances in order to manage thei something. Many people self-medicate with substances in order to manage negative feelings that they may be ha Attorneys Often Drink Far Too Much Alcohol or Abuse Other Substances With Over 20% Having Alcohol-Re
It should be no surprise, with all of the above, that many attorneys drink far too much alcohol and abuse other sub to stop abusing substances, how on earth would they be expected to spend the time going to AA meetings and g regularly appear in the New York Times and other major publications about attorneys who die from abusing subs ends. Here's one about an attorney from Cooley Godward.[xiii]
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According to one article in Psychology Today: Lawyers start facing very heavy workloads and conflicts with their value systems right when they enter law sc drugs to cope. They also suffer from disproportionately higher rates of mental health issues, which may provid medicationthat could be addictive. As per a 2016 studymore than 1 in 5 lawyers reported that they felt that the problematic at some point in their lives, and, of these, nearly 3 of 4 reported that their problematic use started Law School Tests Their Mettle
For many students, the excitement of getting into law school ends when they start school. Excessive workload minded perfectionistsleads to long hours of study and creates an enormous amount ofstress. Additionally, the students lose their connection to their original reason for joining law school - passion for the law or helping p alcohol or drugs to relieve tension and relax. Work - Not As Noble Anymore
In addition to creating conflicts with their own value system, the pressure at work can be excruciating. Lawyer required to work long hours to satisfy existing clients, but also generate new business, and they find themselv climb the corporate ladder and be named a partner in a law firm. This work schedule oftentimes ruptures rela one to turn to. In such circumstances, lawyers may lean on alcohol or drugs for support.[xiv]
Various studies have shown that the rate of alcohol addiction among lawyers is between 15 and 24 percent.[xv] T the rates of addiction to other substances and use of drugs like Oxycontin, Ritalin, crystal meth, cocaine, heroin, V use to cope. Without getting too much into it, abusing alcohol alone can lead to numerous health problems, including: Cancer. Anemia. Heart disease. Liver damage. Digestive problems. Sleep problems. Pancreatitis. Immune system dysfunction. Depression and mental problems. Heart disease.
In fact, alcohol abuse is so dangerous that it is the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States
Accidents and other issues are common with alcohol abuse. On top of this, alcohol and other substances can cau they are recovering the next day (or days) because their productivity may be severely reduced--further creating is
By the time they were in their late 30s and early 40s, I knew of several attorneys who had gotten cancer, and one others died of heart attacks. These attorneys drank just about every night and probably could not have gotten to s this is what killed them.[xvii] The stress of this job is not normal. It is not something that most people experience, a substances than the general population. See the following articles for more information: How Much Drinking Is Too Much for an Attorney? Law Firm Billing Practices Encourage Many Attorneys to Be Dishonest
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When I was practicing law, I saw many instances of partners, associates and others padding their time and over b never wrote down their time and then just estimated it at the end of the week when they turned their hours in. One office to get an assignment and I sat there while he listened to a series of at least 15 voicemails. "What are you doing?" I asked him.
"I'm 'reconstructing' my hours," he told me. "I never write them down and just estimate them at the end of the mont here and there for the time I spend thinking about matters while driving to work, when I am going to sleep and mo
One associate I knew worked an entire weekend on a brief. He went by a partner's office on Monday morning to s partner's timesheet. The timesheet showed the partner had spent 20+ hours reviewing and revising the associate great, but the associate was showing the partner the brief for the first time. That means the partner was stealing $ to clerk for a federal judge, I saw people get sentenced to 15+ years in prison for holding up a bank with a note a was later recovered! Something is wrong here. I'm not saying the entire profession is dishonest, but I would estim know have padded hours and engaged in dishonest billing practices. Numerous studies have shown that a significant percentage of attorneys engage in overbilling.[xviii]
The problem with dishonesty is that it has a negative influence on people. People who are dishonest ae likely to who do not. According to one study: On the one hand, telling the truth, being altruistic, acting fairly and being generally oriented are virtues directl outcomes such as better health and physical wellness, lower stress, decreased cellular aging, increased psy life. On the other hand, lying, being selfish, cheating, and engaging in infidelity are associated with a suite of elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, vasoconstriction, elevated cortisol, and a significant depletion appropriate emotional and physiological regulation. The direct downstream consequences from dishonesty o and biology is unknown; however, a great deal of research exists already suggesting strongly that events cau inevitably result in longer-term damage.[xix]
Incredibly, because many attorneys are lying and being dishonest on a daily and/or ongoing basis, they may be
See the following articles for more information: How the Billable Hour Makes the Majority of Attorneys Dishonest and Unhappy: The Real Reason Why Most Atto The BCG Attorney Search Guide to Basic Law Firm Economics and the Billable Hour: What Every Attorney Need Can Rethinking the "Billable Hour" Lead to More Law Firm Gender Equality? Why Do Attorneys in Large Law Firms Work So Hard and Bill So Many Hours? Attorneys Suffer Mental Health Issues Far More Often than The General Population
While substance abuse may be an issue for many attorneys, many experience various mental health issues. Nea substance abuse issues, for example, are likely to have mental health issues. [xxi] Incredibly, nearly 40 percent o attorneys suffer from depression.[xxii] In terms of law students, nearly 32% have major depression, 13.4% have a disorders.[xxiii]
Here are some findings from a study of 12,825 attorneys carried out by Hazelden and reported in the Journal of depression, anxiety, and stress among attorneys were significant, with 28%, 19%, and 23% experiencing sympto respectively. [xxiv] The same study found that lawyers are 3.6 times as likely to be depressed as people in other j
I've known numerous attorneys with mental health issues. One attorney I know started imagining that he was a ty all of these fake websites that profiled him as an industrialist with huge companies all over the world. His need to his office environment. I've seen this sort of thing from numerous attorneys--they disassociate and have all sorts o Their psychological issues often revolve around a need to feel important that they are not getting from the office. Page 7
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greatness since they don't feel successful at work.
Who could not experience mental health issues as an attorney? In many law firms, an attorney is often: yelled at, criticized and put down by clients, superiors, judges and others, constantly afraid of superiors' disapproval or negative reactions to their work, required to put in excessive face time at the office--late at night, on weekends, holidays and more--it is kind of like sleep deprived and with little free time out of the office, required to do meaningless work that must be perfect or the world will end, undermined by their own colleagues inside the firm looking to get an advantage or edge, under threat of losing their job unless they are able to consistently bring in business, required to cover their ass all the time for their work product, hours and more, part of a system where they are often forced to be dishonest on a daily basis and overbill their time ("pad hours"), required to constantly maintain a professional disposition, worried their spouse is dissatisfied (and may be cheating), or scheming to divorce them, because they cannot sp unpleasant at home--even though they provide a nice house and cars, See the following articles for more information: Top 14 Ways Attorneys Can Avoid Burnout from the Stress of Practicing Law Attorneys May Suffer All Sorts of Maladies Due to a Lack of Sun
Attorneys spend most of their time indoors, under fluorescent lights, in large buildings and then emerge at night. attorneys to suffer from an astonishing lack of sunlight. Lack of sun has been linked to all sorts of maladies: Men who do not get enough sun and vitamin D are twice as likely to develop heart disease. A deficiency of sun can lead to a vitamin D deficiency which can cause breast cancer, prostate cancer, loss of me developing schizophrenia and dementia. Not getting enough sun can negatively affect your metabolism and make you gain weight. A lack of sunlight can create clinical depression, mood swings, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.[xxv] Conclusions
Being an attorney is an extremely difficult job and something that is likely to age and kill many attorneys prematu are assaulted by forces likely to cause premature aging, create health problems and more. The job can be exhau attorney, but their body as well. [i] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005 [ii] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005 [iii] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/. [iv] https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss [v] https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body#1 [vi] https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss#3 [vii] https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss [viii] https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss#2 [ix] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070924092553.htm [x] https://medlineplus.gov/healthrisksofaninactivelifestyle.html [xi] https://www.nhs.uk/news/lifestyle-and-exercise/lack-of-exercise-as-deadly-as-smoking/ [xii]https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/healthy+living/is+your+h [xiii] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/15/business/lawyers-addiction-mental-health.html [xiv] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sure-recovery/201707/drug-and-alcohol-abuse-in-the-legal-profe [xv] https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/lawyers/ [xvi] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/297734.php [xvii] https://www.bcgsearch.com/article/900046939/Another-Big-Law-Attorney-I-Know-Just-Died-Young/ [xviii] https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2403&context=hlr; https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-07-17-1994198038-story.html; https://scholarship.law.edu/cgi/ Page 8
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article=1339&context=scholar [xix] http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/dana_carney/physio.dishonesty.pdf [xx] https://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2012/08/20/how-lying-affects-your-health; https://lifehacker.com/what-lying-actually-does-to-your-brain-and-body-every-d-5968613 [xxi] https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/lawyers/ [xxii] https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/lawyers/ [xxiii] https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/lawyers/ [xxiv] https://www.lawline.com/cle/courses/cat-health-care-law [xxv] https://www.sunsprite.com/blog/9-ways-a-lack-of-sun-is-killing-you/
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