Legal mental health charity LawCare has announced a new groundbreaking research study “Life in the Law”.
The charity has teamed up with leading academics in the field Dr Emma Jones (University of Sheffield), Professor Richard Collier (University of Newcastle), Caroline Strevens (Reader in Legal Education, University of Portsmouth) and Lucinda Soon (Solicitor and PhD researcher), along with Nick Bloy (Executive Coach and founder of Wellbeing Republic) and Kayleigh Leonie (LawCare trustee and solicitor) to develop the research study which will look at the impact of work culture and working practices on the well-being of legal professionals. The research seeks to understand the day-to-day realities of life in the law and uses three academic research scales for burnout, psychological safety and autonomy. Anyone working in the legal industry can complete the online questionnaire across the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The results will form the basis of an academic paper and will be announced next year. LawCare is particularly interested in hearing the views and feedback from legal support staff such as Legal Secretaries and PAs.
Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare, said: “This is the biggest-ever piece of academic research into well-being in the legal industry in the UK and Ireland and we hope it will give us a clear picture of how the culture and practice of law affects mental health. The results will help us improve the support available to legal professionals and drive long-lasting change in legal workplaces so that people working in the law can thrive. We would urge anyone working in the legal profession to take part.”
Dr Emma Jones, Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Sheffield, said: “This study is an opportunity to obtain important empirical data on the well-being of legal professionals. The findings will give us a valuable insight into the impacts of legal practice and legal culture on individual legal practitioners, raise understanding and awareness of the key issues influencing well-being and help shape the development of appropriate and sustainable responses.”
Take part at www.lawcare.org.uk
About LawCare
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LawCare is an independent charity offering emotional support, information and training to the legal community in the UK and Ireland. We work to promote good mental health and well-being in legal workplaces.
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We’re here to help through our confidential helpline, email, webchat and one-to-one peer support network. The helpline number is 0800 279 6888 (1800 991 801 in Ireland) and you can access other support, information and resources at www.lawcare.org.uk (www.lawcare.ie).
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We help all branches of the legal profession: solicitors, barristers, barrister’s clerks, judges, Chartered Legal Executives, paralegals, trademark attorneys, patent attorneys, costs lawyers, and their staff and families.
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Our support spans the legal life from student to training to practice and retirement.