Bree Buchanan – författare

Recent years have witnessed growing concern internationally in wellbeing and mental health across the legal community, a shift reflected in a host of initiatives, networks, reports and research studies. Changes to working patterns, generational shifts, and an increased interest in overall wellbeing have contributed to a growing movement towards better working practices – across all industries but particularly in high pressure professions such as law. The genesis of the lawyer wellbeing movement in the United States has spread to the UK, EU, Canada and Australia. In this opening chapter, Bree Buchanan, chair of the ABA Commission, covers the 2016 research regarding lawyer and law student impairment that served as the catalyst for creating the National Task Force on Lawyer Wellbeing. From this coalition of national organizations came the 2017 Report, which in turn launched a wide variety of national and state policy and practice innovations. Bree summarizes a snapshot of those developments.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed working practices across the globe. It has been predicted that as much as 80 percent of the legal workforce will remain transient or permanently working from home after the COVID-19 crisis ends, with only around a fifth as full-time office workers. Although law firms typically weather downturns better than the overall economy, revenues, working practices, and working culture will all change. The expected economic downturn may not directly translate into a decline for professional services, as market difficulties, regulatory responses, stimulus programs, changes in employment, and other stressors provide potential sources of demand - particularly in the legal sector. What is clear is that personnel issues will come to the fore, and law firm leaders will have to respond proactively, both to mitigate risk and to make the best of a challenging and changing situation. Transitioning from an industry famed for office working to one that is more responsive, flexible and individualistic will provide as many opportunities as it will challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed working practices across the globe. It has been predicted that as much as 80 percent of the legal workforce will remain transient or permanently working from home after the COVID-19 crisis ends, with only around a fifth as full-time office workers. Although law firms typically weather downturns better than the overall economy, revenues, working practices, and working culture will all change. The expected economic downturn may not directly translate into a decline for professional services, as market difficulties, regulatory responses, stimulus programs, changes in employment, and other stressors provide potential sources of demand - particularly in the legal sector. What is clear is that personnel issues will come to the fore, and law firm leaders will have to respond proactively, both to mitigate risk and to make the best of a challenging and changing situation. Transitioning from an industry famed for office working to one that is more responsive, flexible and individualistic will provide as many opportunities as it will challenges.

Recent years have witnessed growing concern internationally in wellbeing and mental health across the legal community, a shift reflected in a host of initiatives, networks, reports and research studies. Changes to working patterns, generational shifts, and an increased interest in overall wellbeing have contributed to a growing movement towards better working practices - across all industries but particularly in high pressure professions such as law. The genesis of the lawyer wellbeing movement in the United States has spread to the UK, EU, Canada and Australia. In this opening chapter, Bree Buchanan, chair of the ABA Commission, covers the 2016 research regarding lawyer and law student impairment that served as the catalyst for creating the National Task Force on Lawyer Wellbeing. From this coalition of national organizations came the 2017 Report, which in turn launched a wide variety of national and state policy and practice innovations. Bree summarizes a snapshot of those developments.