This is my first official article as president of the Austin Young Lawyers Association (AYLA). I have been a member of AYLA since before law school graduation, and I have had the opportunity to meet and work with many young attorneys over the years.
As I near the end of my “young lawyer” years (I plan to be a forever-young Sustaining Member), it has come to my attention that there is still this persistent belief of some–and subconscious practice by others–of what a young lawyer must go through to “make it.”
In the demanding world of practicing law, it’s easy to get caught up in the relentless pursuit of success, billable hours, and courtroom victories. We’ve heard the war stories, the tales of grueling hours, demanding and demeaning mentors, and the “baptism by fire” that supposedly forged us into the attorneys we are today.
Are They Really War Stories?
For many, they may be more like horror stories. There’s an insidious, often unspoken understanding that these experiences, no matter how difficult, were a necessary rite of passage. Some of us may subconsciously perpetuate this cycle, believing that the next generation of lawyers must endure the same trials to prove themselves.
This past year’s Austin Bar President Mary-Ellen Wyatt King’s award-winning initiative, “Stop the Stigma,” made clear the potential harm of pursuing the rigorous and extremely stressful path of a career practicing law. I spent most of my career in juvenile justice, where the primary focus is keeping kids out of the system by means of intervention and prevention. My hope is that this article is a form of intervention and prevention to prevent the burnout, mental health crisis, and physical health crisis that many of our colleagues are driven to, often after facing years of additional stress created by the perception that young lawyers must suffer to be successful.
We should all be paying attention to how the legal community is treating our colleagues and the next generation of attorneys. It may not be you directly causing the harm, but what do you do when you witness it or hear about it? Every profession has its challenging aspects. However, the legal field, given its adversarial nature, often amplifies stress and pressure. Many seasoned attorneys can recount tales of being shouted at, belittled, or pushed to their absolute limits. These experiences, while perhaps intended to toughen someone, often leave scars. They can manifest as cynicism, burnout, and a tendency to view new attorneys as needing to “earn their stripes” through similar tribulations. It isn’t mentorship; it’s a perpetuation of a system that can suppress growth, damage morale and mental health, and ultimately drive promising talent out of your law firm, or the profession entirely. There is a significant difference between rigorous training and preparation and an environment that fosters fear or diminishes self-worth.
The trauma isn’t necessarily always a single catastrophic event, but rather a cumulative effect of an often-unforgiving professional culture that’s been created. The long hours, the constant pressure to perform, the fear of making mistakes, and toxic interpersonal dynamics can wear down even the most resilient individuals. When these experiences become the norm rather than the exception, they can shape the expectations and behaviors of those who rise through the ranks.
So, Where Do We Start?
1. Mentorship: Impactful mentorship isn’t about replicating your own difficult journey for someone else. It’s about guiding, supporting, and empowering an individual. It involves recognizing the unique challenges new attorneys face in today’s legal landscape and offering solutions, not just obstacles. This means providing constructive feedback, not just criticism. It means celebrating successes, big and small, and offering a safe space for questions and mistakes. If you have not heard local attorney Mindi Gulati speak on leadership and how attorneys receive and provide feedback, I highly recommend taking the opportunity when it presents itself.
2. Building a Culture of Support: Firm leadership and individual attorneys have the power to shape the culture. This can mean fostering environments where collaboration is valued over competition, where well-being is prioritized alongside billables, and where open communication is encouraged and respectfully accepted. When new attorneys feel supported, they are more likely to thrive, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to the firm and to the profession.
3. Setting Healthy Boundaries: Many of us in our early careers felt immense pressure to always be “on” and say “yes,” sacrificing personal lives and mental health for the sake of the job. We have the opportunity to model healthier boundaries now for ourselves and our mentees. This does not mean less dedication, but rather more sustainable practices that ensure longevity in what is inherently a demanding career. It’s about demonstrating that it’s possible to be an exceptional attorney without sacrificing one’s entire mental health or life.
4. Valuing Well-Being: It is no secret that many legal practitioners struggle with mental health. By actively promoting well-being initiatives, encouraging work-life balance, and destigmatizing discussions around mental health, we can create a healthier, more sustainable profession for everyone. This includes recognizing the signs of burnout in ourselves and others, and taking proactive steps to address them.
5. Leading by Example: The most profound way to break this cycle is through our own actions. How we interact with junior attorneys, how we manage stress, and how we approach challenges all send powerful messages. If we treat our colleagues with respect, offer genuine support, and demonstrate empathy, we set a new standard. If we mess up, we apologize and own up to lapses in our treatment of others.
The Lasting Impact: People Don’t Forget How You Made Them Feel
This has been my experience now practicing for more than 13 years. I absolutely remember the way that my colleagues made me feel, good or bad.
Think about the mentors and relationships that have come and gone over the years of your legal practice. I bet you can easily recall who made you feel the worst, and why. And at the same time, you can recall who made you feel the best–whether it was through support, mentorship, or friendship. In thinking of the next generation of attorneys, the specific legal advice you dispensed years ago might fade from their memory, but how you made them feel during a challenging case, or the support you offered during a personal crisis, will resonate for a lifetime and potentially shape how they treat the generations that come after them.
Ending generational trauma in the legal profession is not about lowering professional standards or making things “easy.” It’s about cultivating a more compassionate, sustainable, and ultimately more effective way of practicing law. It’s about recognizing that true strength comes not from enduring hardship for its own sake, but from resilience, support, and a wholehearted commitment to lifting up the ones who look up to us.
Those of us who have experience navigating the legal profession have the unique opportunity and responsibility to be the leaders of this change. We can choose to perpetuate archaic and often harmful traditions, or we can choose to forge a new path–one paved with kindness, acknowledgment of our mistakes, empathy, and genuine mentorship. We can be part of a legacy where the next generation of lawyers remembers the unwavering support and belief that helped them flourish in unprecedented times, not the trauma they endured. Let’s empower, inspire, and, above all, make those around us feel capable, respected, and valued.
Because when we uplift the next generation, we elevate the entire profession for the better.
The Austin legal community is fortunate to have many outstanding mentors, some literally awarded for being outstanding. If you read this as a young lawyer and know that it’s time to talk to someone about how you’re being treated or something you’ve experienced personally, please do not hesitate to reach out to a trusted mentor, an AYLA director (including myself), or the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program.