What Does a Stigma-Free Legal Profession Look Like?

We talk a lot about ending the stigma surrounding mental health in the legal profession. However, we don’t always talk about what that means or what that would look like. In our final post of 2025, we thought we’d imagine what that might look like.

A stigma free legal profession would be one where bar applications didn’t ask about mental health history on the application form. It would be one where law schools taught work-life balance. It would be one where firms gave associates time for peer support, counseling, and other forms of mental health care, where such things were not held against an attorney who was trying to climb the ladder toward partner, and where attorneys spoke openly about these challenges.

It would be a profession that doesn’t have such high rates of burnout, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. It would be a profession that addressed these challenges and saved the lives of associates struggling with suicidal ideation.

Maybe someday, this stigma-free vision will be a reality. Until then we will keep working to make it real.

Happy holidays all, see you in 2026.