Young Lawyers Face Burnout in Top Law Firms

Corporate law firms appear to rely on long hours from junior lawyers to uphold profit models, but this could be undermining employee wellbeing and breaching workplace laws.

Despite high profile conversations around work-life balance in the legal sector, several large firms seem to be increasing billing targets, even as their junior staff endure relentless 70+ hour weeks. One recent case revealed how a Melbourne based firm pressured a young lawyer into all-night shifts and back to back 78 hour workweeks raising serious legal and ethical concerns.

The demanding culture is nothing new. The legal industry, structured to meet urgent client needs, often sees staff sacrificing nights, weekends, and even holidays. Junior lawyers describe missing birthdays, cancelling vacations, and being “always on call” depending on the partner they report to. While some firms encourage balance, others embed excessive workloads as part of standard operations.

Many firms formally hire on 38 hour contracts with vague ‘reasonable additional hours’ clauses. But meeting the aggressive billable targets of major firms usually means overtime is more expectation than exception. Experts say that if non billable tasks and human limits are factored in, working extra hours is practically unavoidable.

Broader reforms could be coming as regulatory focus increases on psychosocial hazards in high-pressure workplaces. New laws may require clearer boundaries around recovery time, not just maximum work hours. Experts warn that prolonged, back to back high intensity periods without rest can escalate the risk of burnout even if the initial challenge is invigorating.

Research paints a concerning picture: a joint study from two major universities found early career lawyers suffer the highest mental distress levels, with over 30% planning to exit the profession within a year. Poor work allocation, lack of flexibility, and relentless expectations were all flagged as major risk factors for employee wellbeing.

Source: Australian Financial Review, American Bar, Nalp