Comments on: All’s fair in love and law http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/05/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/ Two lawyers on law, legislation and liberty. And other stuff. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:38:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Legal Eagle http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/05/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/#comment-10507 Legal Eagle Wed, 09 May 2007 02:07:31 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/#comment-10507 Oanh, I think you've hit the nail on the head - as a group, lawyers tend to be perfectionists and high-need achievers (I know I am). If I get something wrong, I have a tendency to self-flagellate myself terribly. This definitely leads to a greater level of depression in the profession. But I still think the practice of law is worthwhile, and I still love the law. So I'll hang in there (from an academic angle for the moment). Oanh, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head - as a group, lawyers tend to be perfectionists and high-need achievers (I know I am). If I get something wrong, I have a tendency to self-flagellate myself terribly. This definitely leads to a greater level of depression in the profession.

But I still think the practice of law is worthwhile, and I still love the law. So I’ll hang in there (from an academic angle for the moment).

]]> By: Oanh http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/05/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/#comment-10506 Oanh Mon, 07 May 2007 17:38:17 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/#comment-10506 I used to do a lot of casework for work-related stress injuries, and some of the symptoms read like me and all of my friends who were working in the law, if not all the time, than at least some of the time. One of the things Dr Bargaric doesn't mention, and which I think is highly relevant to lawyers and depression, is that lawyers, as a generalisation, are high achievers and perfectionists. What you mention about the aggravation of having to do a rush job because <b>someone else</b> mismanaged their time plays on the perfectionism and the high achievement character traits that make we lawyers just a wee bit more susceptible to depression. And if you're a junior lawyer, there's the low responsibilty but high demand imbalance too. And I found it was people who truly loved the law getting more and more depressed about the practise of it. Very few of them are still practitioners, and this is very sad (especially as I am only quite recently admitted). I used to do a lot of casework for work-related stress injuries, and some of the symptoms read like me and all of my friends who were working in the law, if not all the time, than at least some of the time.

One of the things Dr Bargaric doesn’t mention, and which I think is highly relevant to lawyers and depression, is that lawyers, as a generalisation, are high achievers and perfectionists. What you mention about the aggravation of having to do a rush job because someone else mismanaged their time plays on the perfectionism and the high achievement character traits that make we lawyers just a wee bit more susceptible to depression. And if you’re a junior lawyer, there’s the low responsibilty but high demand imbalance too.

And I found it was people who truly loved the law getting more and more depressed about the practise of it. Very few of them are still practitioners, and this is very sad (especially as I am only quite recently admitted).

]]> By: PressPosts / User / koalasmuck / Submitted http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/05/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/#comment-10505 PressPosts / User / koalasmuck / Submitted Mon, 07 May 2007 11:31:07 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/#comment-10505 <strong>http://pressposts.com/Blogging/Alls-fair-in-love-law/</strong> Submited post on PressPosts.com - "All?s fair in love and law" http://pressposts.com/Blogging/Alls-fair-in-love-law/

Submited post on PressPosts.com - “All?s fair in love and law”

]]> By: Club Troppo » Missing Link - 7 May http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/05/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/#comment-10504 Club Troppo » Missing Link - 7 May Mon, 07 May 2007 08:18:54 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/alls-fair-in-love-and-law/#comment-10504 [...] Eagle adds to Mirko Bargaric’s excellent piece on lawyerly depression with some reflections of her own. Anyone attracted to what seems to be a rather ‘glamorous’ occupation should read both, [...] [...] Eagle adds to Mirko Bargaric’s excellent piece on lawyerly depression with some reflections of her own. Anyone attracted to what seems to be a rather ‘glamorous’ occupation should read both, [...]

]]>