The public perception of what lawyers do is overshadowed by adversarial litigation.  Most lawyers spend their time negotiating mountains of paper, regulations, complex problems and interpersonal conflicts.  They are expected to deliver elegant solutions to an incredibly complicated set of problems.  Time and financial strain is crushing.  Plus demanding clients, antagonistic lawyers, unsympathetic public servants,  Judges ... with extremely high standards to do everything right and paper it to exacting standards.  It can be soul crushing.