Tag: mental health

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Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

The Law 360 Canada Pulse Survey: Murray Says WHAAAAAT?

A woman looking at her phone and looking surprised.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.


The good folks at Law 360 have produced their annual survey of what lawyers think about their profession.

Here is the part that I don’t get.

60% of Associates (and 44%) of partners say that they either feel stressed most of the time or all of the time.

At the same time, 63% report being satisfied, or very satisfied, with their jobs.

So, let me get this straight. Lawyers are generally happy with their jobs, while being stressed most or all of the time.

I am reminded of the famous quote from The Princess Bride: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Maybe I am an outlier, but I am usually happiest when I am not stressed about things like getting my work done on time, meeting billable hour requirements, or getting sued. But that’s just me.

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Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

Deny, Deny, Deny – Right Up to the Breakdown

A collage the same woman with different expressions on her face.

“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”  

~ Mark Twain

I was speaking to a mom of three children the other day. She drives them to their different schools every morning and ferries them to sports activities after school and on the weekends, while trying to advance her career in the remaining time. She was talking about how difficult it was to stay on top of everything and take care of her own health, but she was pleased that she was somehow managing it all. My response? “Sure, right up to the breakdown.”

read more about denial and mental health “Deny, Deny, Deny – Right Up to the Breakdown”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Toxic productivity update

An alarm clock, and apple, and a coffee mug.
Photo by Julien bachelet at Pexels.

Coming on three years ago, I wrote about toxic productivity. Among my pithy comments were the following nuggets:

read more about toxic productivity “Toxic productivity update”
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People I Met Practicing Law

Who Do You Want To Be in the Legal Profession?

Woman pulling a suitcase on a country road, seen from behind.
Photo by Ivan Aguilar at Pexels.

There was once a mid-sized law firm that wanted to develop a specialty in a niche area of litigation.

At the bottom level of that specialty, there were general commercial litigation lawyers who wrongly thought that they knew enough to be competent. One step above, there were lawyers with a decent reputation who gave good, creative, advice and achieved decent results most of the time. And then there were the Tier One superstars. Big reputations, high billings, and in demand for the most difficult assignments.

read more about who you want to be in the legal profession “Who Do You Want To Be in the Legal Profession?”
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Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

Tell Me What You Really, Really, Want

Frustrated woman looking at giant alarm clock.
Photo by Koolshooters at Pexels.

“So, tell me what you want, what you really, really want “                

~ Spice Girls

Have you thought about what type of people law firms really, really, want to hire? I mean, after you drill down past the marketing and human resources departments, and contemplate the type of things that even the Partners are afraid to admit behind closed doors.

read more about the dirty secret in the legal profession “Tell Me What You Really, Really, Want”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Being Smart is Not What it is Cracked Up to Be

Man with glasses in a formal pose.
Photo by Elsimage at Pexels.

You, who are on the road; must have a code you try to live by; and so become yourself; because the past is just a goodbye; teach your children well.

~ Graham Nash

Parents teach their children about success by reference to how things were during their productive years. To my grandparents, success was a job in the front office at the factory, rather than on the production floor. My parents hoped that their children would become professionals. I wanted my children to achieve some work/life balance.

read more about whether being smart is the key to success “Being Smart is Not What it is Cracked Up to Be”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Shit Rolls Downhill

legs on a bobsled going downhill
Phto by minan at Pexels.

Out here in the country where I now live, it is a good thing if your septic tank is located on a lower elevation than your house. If it is not, you need something called a macerator to grind up the poop so that it can be pumped up to your septic tank, because as we all know, shit rolls downhill.

To put this in the context of a law firm, one might note that the most senior partners are usually on the highest floor of the office building.

read more about hierarchy, delgation, and teamwork in a lawfirm “Shit Rolls Downhill”
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Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

The Implications of My Ice Cream Diet for Law Firm Management

The author eating an icecream cone at a cafe in Pars.

I have been over-weight for a good long while. My wife, Maureen, is not shallow. She loves me exactly as I am.  But she is smart, beautiful and talented, and her marketability far exceeds mine, so why take chances?

For about 15 years, I stopped eating chocolate, cake, pie, muffins, ice-cream, fudge, etc., etc., but I substituted bread, goat cheese, nut butter, and organic honey, and kept gaining weight.

read more about my diet and what it might suggest for law firm managers “The Implications of My Ice Cream Diet for Law Firm Management”
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Law Students and Young Lawyers

Happiness May Buy You Money

Two people jumping for joy against a background of the ocean and a sunset.
Photo by Jill Willington at Pexels.

A holocaust survivor who I know once asked me, “who says you are supposed to be happy?” 

read more about happiness leading to success in law school “Happiness May Buy You Money”
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Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

Working From Hell

Call Centre Workers.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko at Pexels.

I was at the receiving end of a rant from a young associate recently, who I will call Mike. I don’t mind when Mike calls me to rant, usually late at night on his commute home from work. He needs to unload, and I am happy to be a sympathetic audience.

read more about working from home “Working From Hell”