"Biglaw in particular runs on insecurity. Not only do lawyers work insane hours, they're expected to perform with absolute precision. From day one, the message is clear: Miss a deadline (even if arbitrary) or make an error (however inconsequential), and your career is toast. The culture of extreme perfectionism breeds fear and anxiety, yet it remains the industry standard. The question is what this is doing to lawyers' mental state."
"Among lawyers who scored high on the perfectionist scale, 50.6% showed elevated depression, compared to 7.1% in the low-perfectionism group. Perfectionist lawyers also tend to have shorter tenures at their firms: 5.3 years, compared to 8.4 years for low-perfectionists. And you guessed it: women reported higher levels of perfectionism and stress, suggesting that "that perfectionism may be a contributing factor to elevated turnover risk among women lawyers.""
Biglaw culture emphasizes absolute precision and long hours, promoting insecurity and extreme perfectionism. A survey of 764 lawyers by Krill Strategies, JC Coaching & Consulting, Ambitionprofile, and NALP links high perfectionism to stress, depression, workaholism, resistance to feedback, and reduced engagement, motivation, and longevity. Lawyers scoring high on perfectionism showed 50.6% elevated depression versus 7.1% for low-perfectionists. High-perfectionist lawyers average 5.3 years at a firm compared with 8.4 years for low-perfectionists. Women reported higher levels of perfectionism and stress, indicating perfectionism may contribute to elevated turnover risk among women lawyers. The culture may shorten careers and harm mental health.
Read at Above the Law
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