Many NZ lawyers find their work rewarding – and distressing. How can they be supported?

Lakeview Images/Getty Images Being a lawyer has long been recognised as a high-pressure profession.

But for many lawyers in Aotearoa New Zealand, the challenges stretch beyond heavy workloads and long hours.

Our recently published Law in Distress report found high levels of work-related distress and indirect trauma among lawyers, linked to both the nature of their work and wider systemic challenges.

And yet, alongside experiencing significant work-related distress, the majority of lawyers remain deeply committed to their profession: 77.5% of survey participants intend to continue practising law.

That widespread sense of commitment is important when considering how to address work-related distress.

Any solutions will need to recognise the meaning lawyers derive from their work, alongside their strong professional identity and sense of belonging in the legal community.

Moral distress and the myth of coping Our research is the first large-scale study of work-related distress and indirect trauma among Aotearoa New Zealand lawyers.

We surveyed 379 lawyers and interviewed a further 49 across different areas of practice.

Many lawyers reported experiencing distress from repeated exposure to clients’ trauma.

But they also talked about systemic pressures, heavy workloads and workplace cultures that normalise overwork and emotional suppression.

They described walking a “precarious tightrope”, where empathetic engagement with traumatic cases and clients becomes unsustainable.

They might try to detach to cope, but in doing so, may jeopardise their ability to hear and accurately represent their clients’ experiences.

Being a “good lawyer” within the culture of the profession, meant not being visibly affected by the work.

This perpetuates the stigma associated with normal responses to experiencing work-related distress and seeking support.