Key points:
- One in five Illinois lawyers rated their mental health as fair or poor in a new study sponsored by the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program
- Of this number, 32% said they had experienced suicidal ideation in the past year
- 66% of lawyers said their workplaces negatively impact their mental and physical health and wellness and would consider leaving their job because of it
- 39% of lawyers said they have observed cognitive decline in other lawyers and 21% said they have seen it in the judiciary
- 33% of lawyers said they had experienced vicarious trauma in the past year
- 37% said they were managing their mental health on their own, citing factors like embarrassment, financial and privacy concerns, and fear of negative career repercussions as reasons for not seeking support
- Many lawyers reported using alcohol, recreational drugs, or prescriptions to cope with stress
One in five Illinois lawyers rated their mental health as fair or poor in a new study sponsored by the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP). Of this number (which equates to roughly 11,000 Illinois lawyers), a concerning 32% (or 3,500 Illinois lawyers) said they had experienced suicidal ideation in the past year.
Lawyers said their poor mental health was also causing burnout, performance issues, negative physical health, and the need to take time off work. However, 37% said they were managing their mental health on their own, citing factors like embarrassment, financial and privacy concerns, and fear of negative career repercussions as reasons for not seeking support.
The findings are based on an anonymous survey of 6,778 Illinois lawyers conducted in late 2025. The study was administered by The Red Bee Group.
“People don’t come forward when they feel it will be used against them or that it’s such a taboo subject that they feel they can’t talk about it,” Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary K. O’Brien, who serves as LAP’s Supreme Court Liaison, said in the study report. “Our mission is to ensure they can talk about it. We want to be able to know what’s really going on and to be able to offer real solutions.”
Stress and mental health impact retention
Fifty-seven percent of lawyers who responded to the study reported experiencing stress at work, with longer hours being tied to higher levels of stress. Sixty-six percent of lawyers said their workplaces negatively impacted their mental and physical health and wellness and would consider leaving their job because of it; 70% of lawyers said they had previously left a job because it adversely impacted their mental and physical health and overall wellness.
Lawyers cited excessive workloads, a lack of appreciation, and feeling stuck as top reasons their workplaces negatively impacted their wellness.
Judges and lawyers who said their workplaces have supportive policies (like time off for mental health challenges, access to professional counseling services, and well-being education) reported lower stress scores.
Lawyers see cognitive decline in others
Lawyers have a reputation for working well past the common retirement age, with many in the study saying that they will continue to practice because they like work and find it engaging. In fact, the study found that just 25% of lawyers plan to retire before age 70.
However, a shocking 39% of lawyers said they have observed cognitive decline in other lawyers and 21% said they have seen it in the judiciary.
Ninety-four percent of lawyers said that more resources should be available to help lawyers or judges experiencing cognitive decline.
“It is essential that we create more pipelines for anonymous information-sharing with lawyers’ support groups and state bars to allow lawyers to raise alarms about cognitive decline without having to fear retribution,” a lawyer respondent said in the report.
Vicarious trauma from work impacts lawyers
Thirty percent of lawyers said they experienced vicarious trauma in the past year, which was defined as “lasting emotional and psychological impact from ongoing exposure at work to other people’s trauma.”
Lawyers practicing in litigation, criminal law, and family/domestic relations experienced higher levels of vicarious trauma than others. Judges also reported experiencing vicarious trauma.
Addressing vicarious trauma in lawyers and judges has been a priority for the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.
The Commission’s Deputy Director Stephanie Villinski facilitates a training for Illinois judges, titled “Vicarious Trauma and Judges: Impact and Solutions,” which provides strategies to minimize the impact of trauma on judges on and off the bench.
LAP Executive Director Dr. Diana Uchiyama and Judge Victor Reyes (Ret.), a leading advocate on judicial vicarious trauma, are featured presenters during the program.
The training has been delivered in courthouses across the state, including in Cook, DuPage, Champaign, McLean, and Winnebago counties. Most recently, the training was delivered to judges in St. Clair and Madison counties in southern Illinois.
In addition, Villinski led a conversation, “Understanding How Vicarious Trauma Impacts Lawyers,” with Weld County Colorado District Attorney Michael J. Rourke and licensed clinical professional counselor Ellie Fedlmann during the 2025 Future Is Now: Legal Services conference. The video is available on YouTube.
LAP also delivers an in-person CLE on vicarious trauma, titled “Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue: Why the Work We Do Impacts Us.” More information is available on LAP’s website.
Alcohol and substance use tied to stress
Eighty-five percent of lawyers reported drinking alcohol in the past year, with most saying they drink a few times a month and 9% saying they drink daily. More men reported drinking than women.
Of those who drink alcohol, 86% said they typically have 1-3 drinks at a time, and 11% said they have 4-5 drinks at a time. A troubling 28% of lawyers said there were times in the past year when they could not control their drinking. Many cited stress and ease of access as reasons for drinking.
Thirteen percent of lawyers said they frequently use recreational drugs or misuse prescriptions. The vast majority of lawyers who use recreational drugs use cannabis (97%), followed by hallucinogens (17%) and cocaine (11%).
More men and younger lawyers reported using recreational drugs. Common reasons for drug use included stress relief, feeling good/getting high, and help with sleep, pain, or other health issues.
“We can no longer turn a blind eye to the negative impact of current standards and norms, and we cannot say that this information does not apply to your agency or firm,” said Dr. Uchiyama. “We must take this information seriously and implement necessary changes so that we can turn the lives around for the many who are suffering and not doing well.”
Recommendations to promote mental health
A report with the study’s findings written by The Red Bee Group lays out recommendations for legal employers, individual lawyers, bar associations, and the courts to promote mental health and wellness in the legal profession.
These recommendations include that legal employers establish workplace policies, resources, and programs that support the mental health and wellness of employees; educational efforts by bar associations to raise awareness of mental health and wellness issues; action by lawyers to prioritize their mental health and wellness, like setting boundaries and seeking support; and leadership and training for judges on issues like managing stress, navigating vicarious trauma, and recognizing cognitive decline.
The report also noted the role incivility plays in undermining lawyers’ mental health and highlighted the Commission’s recently published Bullying in the Legal Profession report as providing guidance for judges on how to address it in their respective courtrooms.
More information on the study is available on LAP’s website.
Staying up to date on issues impacting the legal profession is vital to your success. Subscribe here to get the Commission’s weekly news delivered to your inbox.
What Your Legal Organization’s Anti-Bullying Policy Should Contain
Lawyers Are Billing More Time as AI Adoption Grows, According to 2026 Clio Legal Trends Report
The post 1 in 5 Illinois Lawyers Report Negative Mental Health, Illinois LAP Study Finds appeared first on 2Civility.