Legal Profession Wellbeing Baseline
The legal profession in Australia is confronting alarming rates of mental health issues, burnout, and exceptionally high levels of stress. Not only do individuals suffer, but it risks the performance of firms and raises ethical issues.
Long hours, high pressure and compounding stress are considered the main contributors, but there is no clear road map for how the industry can change this. Nor does it provide the full picture. For example, why is it that some lawyers continue to thrive? A recent study revealed that satisfied lawyers report feeling burnout at half the rate of unsatisfied lawyers (74%) indicating a connection between a misalignment of values and burnout.
The Opportunity for Change
To inform effective solutions and provide a clear road map, a holistic understanding of people’s wellbeing needs and aspirations, and how these may differ across contexts, is required.
To this aim, NFP Evidence Institute, the Wellbeing Intelligence Network and Wellceum are establishing a research syndicate to produce an Australian Legal Profession Wellbeing Baseline. The aim is to make this a multi-year study to continue to track progress as well as inform continuous improvement.
Targeted Investment
Identify where to invest resources and interventions to maximise wellbeing across the legal profession.
Track Performance
Capture a baseline to track progress over time, including celebrating strengths of the legal profession and identify enduring challenges.
Systems Change Approach
A holistic understanding of people’s needs and the environment around them providing a roadmap for systems level change.
Insights from the Baseline
Commitment from Syndicate Partners
We are asking for each syndicate partner to nominate at least one representative to form a steering group and participate in the following:
Kick off workshop
Measurement Plan workshops (up to 3 X 2 hrs)
Promotion Campaign Workshops (up to 2 x 2 hrs)
Distribution of surveys to partner’s network
Attend for presentation of findings
Review and Feedback of draft final report
Action workshop
