Are lawyers more likely to be depressed?
Asked by: Darrell Lindgren MD | Last update: October 2, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (16 votes)
Do lawyers struggle with mental health? The legal profession has long been recognized as a high-pressure, demanding job. Recent studies have found that lawyers are more prone to depression and anxiety than the general population.
What percent of lawyers are depressed?
A nationwide study of ~13,000 lawyers indicated that 28% experienced depression, 19% reported anxiety, 21% had alcohol use problems, and 11% had problems with drug use [3].
Do lawyers suffer from mental health issues?
As a group, lawyers are known to suffer from poor mental health in greater numbers than many other professions. According to the American Psychological Association, lawyers are 3.6 times more likely to suffer depression than non-lawyers.
What percent of lawyers make $500,000?
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual pay for lawyers in 2022 was $135,740, with only the top 1% surpassing the $500,000 mark.
What personality do most lawyers have?
Daicoff (2004) found that lawyers as a group have a slight tendency towards introversion, intuition, and judging (over extroversion, sensing, and perceiving). Furthermore, there is an overwhelming tendency to thinking over feeling. One study found that 75% of lawyers exhibit the thinking preference.
Why Are Lawyers More Likely to Become Depressed?
What type of lawyer is the most happy?
If you're practicing law for reasons of self-realization or altruism, you're likely to be happier than someone whose work motivation revolves around money or recognition.
Do lawyers have narcissistic personality disorder?
Many young attorneys can suffer from a conceited belief of themselves. They in fact become narcissists. While confidence and a demand for respect are much-needed attributes in law, self-congratulatory behavior is not welcomed. Such behavior, in fact, can destroy a young attorney's career.
How rich is the average lawyer?
In general, the five highest-paying states for lawyers are as follows: California ($201,530) Massachusetts ($196,230) New York ($188,900)
Can lawyers make 7 figures?
Corporate Lawyer (Partner)
Though that's far from pocket change, it's certainly not landing you in the earnings tier of a millionaire. That said, corporate lawyers generally stand to make the most and can pull in seven figures a year — if they make partner.
Can you be a lawyer if you have depression?
“I see and have seen, highly functioning, highly respected, highly compensated lawyers who have been suffering from significant amount of anxiety and depression, some who have issues with substance use, but none of whom would it make any sense to disqualify from practicing law,” Levin said.
Is being a lawyer mentally draining?
Attorneys don't need to be told that they work in a high-stress environment and are prone to burning out. Lawyers are subject to significant emotional burden, with international research highlighting their susceptibility to psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and — shockingly — even suicide.
Is being a lawyer high stress?
While lawyers might benefit from having an elite reputation and plenty of cash in the bank, it can also be incredibly stressful. Many attorneys grapple with long hours, difficult clients, and ever-increasing demands daily.
Why are so many law students depressed?
Why are so many law students depressed? Law school is stressful and competitive by nature, and navigating through the pressures to achieve high class rankings, outperform peers, and land prestigious spots in legal journals can strain law student mental health.
How many people quit being a lawyer?
Before the pandemic, the average associate attrition rate at Am Law 100 firms was reported at 16%. In 2021, that number had jumped to a jaw-dropping 27%. Using the previous 16% attrition rate, it was calculated that for every 20 lawyers hired, 15 would leave within six years.
How can a lawyer make 500k a year?
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Do lawyers make 200k a year?
The median starting salary is $215,000 in 11 cities and geographic areas. They are Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles/Orange County, California; New York City; San Diego; San Francisco; Silicon Valley in California; and the Washington, D.C., area.
Who is the lowest paid lawyer?
We find that within the legal industry, certain segments are known to offer lower compensation. Typically, public defenders, legal aid attorneys, and lawyers working for nonprofit organizations are among the lowest paid.
Are lawyers considered upper class?
The upper-middle-class usually evolves out of people from the middle-class tier who are particularly resourceful or who achieve higher levels of education than the rest of the middle class. Examples of these people in today's society are doctors and lawyers.
What is the richest type of lawyer?
- Patent attorney: $180,000.
- Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.
- Trial lawyer: $134,000.
- Tax attorney: $122,000.
- Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
- Medical lawyer: $113,000.
- Real estate lawyer: $98,000.
- Family lawyer: $93,000.
What personality fits a lawyer?
And more than half of all lawyers are represented by just four types: ISTJ: Introvert-Sensor-Thinker-Judger, ESTJ: Extravert-Sensor-Thinker-Judger, INTJ: Introvert-iNtuitive-Thinker-Judger, and ENTP: Extravert-iNtuitive-Thinker-Perceiver. , logical, bottom-line approach.
What is lawyer syndrome?
The syndromic lawyer syndrome ("SLS") refers to a malady. suffered by lawyers, judges, and, especially, legal academics.2. SLS typically affects lawyers most severely when applying rules. of evidence and, in particular, the rules governing the admissibil- ity of expert testimony.
Can judges tell a narcissist?
Family law judges can often see through the manipulative tactics of narcissists. They are trained to discern truth from deception while looking through an objective, law-based lens, which makes them generally adept at identifying patterns of narcissistic behavior.