In depth: Why disillusioned junior lawyers give up law

Chris (not his real name) was the first to study law in his family and one of few from his background to make it to a top firm. But having qualified last October, he is already considering leaving, as the job has not been what he expected or hoped for.

‘Given how competitive the process is, and coming from a low-income background and being state school non-Oxbridge, realistically I should feel like I’m living the dream. But I’m not,’ he told the Gazette. ‘I find the job incredibly stressful. At points so stressful I question if it’s worth it. I feel a bit trapped, knowing it’s too early to walk away, but also that I might not enjoy the next few years, or that doing so may damage my mental health.’

Chris’s story is increasingly common, according to the mental health charity LawCare. Chief executive Elizabeth Rimmer says career concerns are now the second most common reason for lawyers calling the service (it was as low as ninth just a few years ago). Around half of these contacts are from lawyers less than five years’ qualified.

The themes are similar each time: stress at the sudden workload, abandonment by supervisors who were hands-on during training periods, and guilt at considering giving it all up after such expense and time spent getting into the profession. Particular anguish arises over the prospect of telling parents they want to give up, and the inevitable disappointment when they break the news.

Rimmer explains that juniors considering a quick exit speaks to the culture of the law. Many have been recruited specifically through mechanisms for improving firms’ diversity records, but the environment they enter has not adapted as quickly. 

‘This is people questioning if this is what they want to do. It has risen since the pandemic. Perhaps the experience of the pandemic has made people question what they want from their life and work, particularly if it doesn’t meet their expectations,’ says Rimmer.

‘The junior stage of the career is a very challenging time where you feel the weight of responsibility that you are qualified and it’s all on you. Some people feel they had more supervision and support in training and once they qualify they are on their own. It can be really difficult to say “I am struggling or feeling overwhelmed” as you might be perceived as weak or not good enough.’

The good news for those who do quit the profession is that there is life after the law.

Steve Violet, who moved from private practice into regulatory oversight, says: ‘Having spent so long focused on becoming a solicitor it felt like a huge leap to step away from practice. It was a big deal to tell my parents, especially given the support they had given me to get qualified. I was lucky in that I stayed close to the profession with roles working in policy and then regulation linked to legal services – that made the move feel less jarring.’

Victoria Moffatt, who moved into public relations after seven years in the law, does not regret her decision and says she is happier now, even if some might regard her as a ‘failed lawyer’.

‘It was a long, slow process of falling out with practice and a disillusionment with the partnership model. I couldn’t see a “fit” for me in the partnerships in the firms where I’d worked,’ says Moffatt.

‘I spoke to consultant lawyer firms but they couldn’t accommodate me because they felt I was too junior and would need too much support. They were almost certainly correct. I didn’t really want to go in-house and I didn’t have the network or experience under my belt to set up on my own. My legal experience has been and continues to be invaluable and I still absolutely love working with lawyers. So it was very much the best move for me.’

Rimmer advises those considering a career change to think whether they might benefit from a different work environment or practice area. And she says firms and chambers can do more to encourage people to stay.

‘We don’t want to lose people – they need to feel this is for them,’ she adds.

‘The message is that employers need to ensure they talk to their juniors. And they must maintain that not just through the training phase but the first couple of years as qualified lawyers. They put a lot of effort into training, and yet they may not be doing enough to actually keep people in the profession.’