A third attribute of the law is its hierarchical nature. Law schools are rife with competition to earn the best grades and win the top jobs. In recent years, the pressure to produce and compete successfully for clients has intensified as business loyalties shift and the number of lawyers grows. Failure to meet ever-rising standards equates with professional mediocrity and a loss of prestige and power. Personal Factors Disillusionment with the practice of law is a common precursor to depression.
Many older lawyers complain that practicing law just isn t fun anymore.
Younger lawyers looking for jobs or those who are underemployed struggle under the burdensome debt of student loans. Increasing competition results in more specialization, so many lawyers find themselves churning out work that is no longer challenging. All of these factors result in a loss of personal vision. Another occupational hazard for lawyers is the failure to honor body and soul. The pressure to bill thousands of hours can persuade the lawyer that there s no time for anything but work.