Anxiety in the Legal Profession: How It Impacts Lawyers and Their Practice

The legal profession demands precision, advocacy, and resilience. But beneath the surface of achievement and high performance, many lawyers quietly battle an invisible challenge: anxiety. While occasional stress is expected in high-stakes work, chronic anxiety is something else entirely—affecting not only the individual lawyer but their relationships, health, and professional responsibilities.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is more than feeling stressed or overwhelmed. It is defined as “intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear.”1 It can arise in response to everyday situations, one-time events, or in anticipation of future challenges. While anxiety is a normal part of life, persistent anxiety can interfere with functioning, health, and decision-making.

Worry is a common symptom—manifesting as persistent, excessive concern about things both imminent and distant. In the legal profession, these worries often center around performance, outcomes, and expectations.

In a national 2023 study of nearly 3,000 lawyers, 71% reported experiencing anxiety.2 A separate survey of over 1,600 attorneys by the New Jersey State Bar found that 68% reported feeling anxious within the prior two weeks—a striking indicator of how widespread the issue is.3

What Causes Anxiety for Lawyers?

Attorneys face a range of stressors that fuel chronic anxiety, including:4

·         Pressure to meet billable hour requirements

·         Feeling constantly on call and unable to disconnect

·         High client demands and expectations

·         Unclear workplace expectations or feedback

·          Reluctance to ask for help with workload or mental health concerns

These pressures are compounded by the profession’s competitive culture and unspoken rules around emotional self-sufficiency.

How Anxiety Affects the Body

Anxiety takes a toll not just on the mind, but the body as well. Symptoms may include:5

·         Heart palpitations

·         Increased muscle tension

·         Headaches, especially on workdays

·         Fatigue and sleep disruptions

·         Gastrointestinal issues

·         Heightened irritability

In the legal context, these might look like trouble sleeping before a court appearance, difficulty staying calm with a demanding client, or frequent stomach issues that seem to coincide with work-related stress.

How Anxiety Affects the Mind and Performance

Cognitively, anxiety can interfere with focus, memory, and decision-making.6

Lawyers with anxiety may experience:

·         Difficulty concentrating or tracking conversations

·         Intrusive, racing, or uncontrollable thoughts

·         Avoidance of specific tasks or cases

·         Cognitive rigidity—feeling “stuck” or unable to consider alternatives

For example, a lawyer might avoid contacting opposing counsel, struggle to remember key facts during case prep, or feel paralyzed when preparing a challenging client for testimony.

These effects aren’t just frustrating—they can have ethical and professional consequences.

The Professional Impact: Ethics, Judgment, and Client Service

Under ABA Model Rules 1.1 and 1.3, attorneys are required to provide competent and diligent representation.7 But anxiety can interfere with both:

·         Reduced focus and impaired decision-making may affect case outcomes.

·         Task avoidance can lead to missed deadlines or inadequate preparation.

·         Difficulty regulating emotions may strain client relationships.

·         Impaired communication may reduce clarity, strategy, and client confidence.

Anxiety doesn’t just affect how a lawyer feels—it affects how they show up, think, and advocate.

A Call for Awareness and Change

Anxiety is common. It is also treatable. Addressing it doesn’t mean sacrificing success—it means sustaining it.

By learning about and acknowledging the impact of anxiety, we can reduce stigma, improve performance, and foster a healthier, more sustainable legal culture. To learn more about professional anxiety and specific strategies to reduce its impact, check out our training on Navigating Anxiety for Lawyers.

1 Mayo Clinic, Anxiety disorders (May 4, 2018), https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961.

2 Chelsey Fredlund, Mental Health by the Numbers: An Infographic Mapping the Legal Industry's Well-Being, The American Lawyer (May 18, 2023).

3 New Jersey State Bar Association, Putting Lawyers First Task Force: A Comprehensive Report and Recommendations on How to Improve the Legal Profession for Lawyers, February 17, 2023.

4 Id. (Chelsey Fredlund, 2023).

5 Id. (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

6 Id. (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

7 American Bar Association, Model Rules of Professional Conduct, 2024.