When former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared loneliness a public health epidemic in spring 2023, it pumped fresh air into a conversation about mental health that had been brewing for years. This is especially true for the legal sector, which has been wrestling with attorney mental health issues for decades. 

A 2018 Harvard Business Review survey of 1,624 full-time employees found that lawyers are among the loneliest of all professionals, and multiple studies have indicated higher than average rates of depression, stress, anxiety, and heavy substance use among attorneys. 

The American Bar Association's 2019 investigation of lawyer mental health found that 21% to 36% of attorneys are excessive drinkers, compared to 8% to 10% of the general population and 12% of highly educated professionals. Additionally, 28% are struggling with depression, 19% are struggling with anxiety, and 23% have elevated stress levels.

In response, the ABA has published materials to help address lawyers’ psychological and emotional health, including The Path to Lawyer Well-Being and the Well-Being Toolkit for Lawyers and Legal Employers. These are helpful and important materials for legal professionals to be familiar with. However, we need to look further upstream and adjust the environment where some of these mental health challenges take root.

An isolating environment

Many law firms are built using a traditional model where associates have to climb the ranks to make partner. A common side effect of this structure is a competitive workplace environment, where performance metrics such as hours billed, client wins, and revenue generated are tantamount to human connection. 

Driven by the need to succeed, lawyers may find themselves comparing their work to their colleagues, and when workplaces are fueled by internal competition, admitting to difficulty — due to stress, mental health struggles, or needing guidance — may be viewed as a weakness. 

Without mentorship and opportunities to gain professional development, whether formerly or informally over a water cooler conversation, attorneys may internalize their struggle, tell themselves they are falling short, and trigger a negative spiral of self-doubt and a sense of being alone.

The partner-track structure not only feeds into feelings of isolation among lawyers, but also disproportionately hurts female attorneys. In order to be awarded partnership, attorneys must meet certain revenue and billable hour goals, even if that means working late. Women, who are typically more responsible for domestic responsibilities, are often not able to work extended hours, while men — especially men without children — often can meet those obligations. 

Consider that just 23% of equity partners in the U.S. are women. Importantly, this isn’t due to a lack of interest from women to join the law profession. Women have accounted for at least 40% of law students in the U.S. for decades; in 2021, it was more than half.

Placing a premium on productivity to achieve partnership can lead to a competitive culture of overwork, which in turn, makes it difficult for employees to take breaks or prioritize their personal lives because they are trying to meet revenue targets. 

Reducing competition, fostering collaboration

So how can we combat the traditional partner model that stirs up internal competition and can cause feelings of inadequacy, driving lawyers into high rates of depression, anxiety, and stress? Is there a way to design internal structures to reduce unhealthy competition and create more supportive environments within law firms? 

As a law firm co-owner myself, I believe so, and can offer four simple but effective tactics to help eliminate feelings of isolation at work:

Mentorship for mutual benefit. First, a deliberate focus on mentorship can be one of the most effective ways to counteract isolation. By intentionally hiring experienced attorneys who are committed to sharing their knowledge, firms can strengthen connections across levels, units, and offices. 

Mentorship is not only for newer lawyers. It can also offer seasoned attorneys opportunities to learn new trends, refine their skills, and reconsider traditional approaches. At Coeur d'Alene-based Malek + Malek, our attorneys participate in formal mentoring relationships, creating a culture where guidance and shared problem-solving are normal parts of the workday. We have also sought feedback and continue to evolve our mentorship programs — strengthening the things that work and eliminating what doesn’t work.

Offering inclusive development and family support. Providing access to leadership training, flexible policies for parents, and opportunities for professional growth can signal that the firm is as invested in its employees’ mental health and professional growth as it is in the bottom line. 

Rethinking the partner track. As we’ve already covered, traditional partner tracks often prioritize revenue and billable hours, which can disproportionately impact women and attorneys with significant family responsibilities. 

Some firms, including Malek + Malek, have replaced the traditional partner track with a profit-sharing model available to all attorneys. This approach encourages collaboration to deliver high-quality work through team-based collaboration, rather than rewarding only individual revenue generation.

Incentivizing collaboration. In a profit-sharing structure, firms can include non-traditional metrics such as information sharing, mentorship, and efforts to empower colleagues as part of employee performance evaluations. This aligns incentives with the goal of creating a supportive workplace where lawyers view each other as teammates rather than competitors.

When fear of showing vulnerability combines with constant peer comparison, isolation can take hold and damage the mental health of legal professionals. While the issue is deeply rooted in legal culture, it is not inevitable.

Through intentional mentorship, development opportunities, family-supportive policies, and compensation models that reward teamwork, law firms can replace unhealthy competition with shared success.

The result is not just a healthier work environment, but also a more resilient and connected team of lawyers who can sustain long and meaningful careers in law.

Tara Malek is a licensed attorney in Idaho practicing in state and federal court in business and commercial litigation. She is a litigator and co-owner at Coeur d'Alene-based Malek + Malek.