Legal Professionals' Source of Stress Survey

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Thank you for participating in this survey! Your responses are anonymous. Please reach out to Meri at meri@forwardlegal406.com to discuss your answers in more detail if you wish.

Which profession describes you best? *

Lawyer

Paralegal

Legal assistant

Lawyer- in management position managing other lawyers

Other:

Practice Area *

Family Law

Civil Plaintiff

Civil Defense

Malpractice

General

Estate Planning

Mediation

Criminal Prosecution

Criminal Defense

Other:

Number of years in practice *

1-5

5-10

10-15

15+

Gender

Male

Female

Non-Binary

Prefer not to say

Clear selection

Where do you live? *

Western Montana- in a rural area

Western Montana- in a city

South-Central Montana- in a rural area

South-Central Montana- in a city

North-Central Montana- in a rural area

North-Central Montana- in a city

Eastern Montana- in a rural area

Eastern Montana- in a city

Did you have a career before becoming joining the legal field? *

Yes

Why did you want to become a lawyer/legal professional? *

How satisfied are you with the practice of law, generally? *

Completely unsatisfied

Completely satisfied

What is most satisfying about the legal field? (choose up to 4) *

Helping others

Work flexibility (e.g. time spent at work)

Financial security

Helping society

Preventing harm to others

Working with other professionals

Other:

Required

In your own words, what do you like most about being a lawyer/legal professional? *

Do you follow any rituals to savor these positive aspects of legal work? (e.g. a gratitude journal or celebrating victories with staff) *

I practice gratitude (journal, notes to others, or in mindfulness to myself)

Me (or me and my staff) give credit and recognition to others on a regular basis..

I/we celebrate large and small victories.

I/We make a point to stay positive- we have a positive mission statement and encourage one another

I/We provide financial incentives/recognition.

Other:

Required

What do you find stressful about the practice of law? (please choose up to 4) *

Workload

Lack of autonomy

Lack of control over my schedule

Unable to balance work and home life

Dealing with difficult people

Being in constant conflict

Lack of credit/recognition for my successes

I feel hopeless that I'll be able to achieve good outcomes for people.

My day-to-day tasks are not what I expected them to be when I envisioned being a lawyer.

Politics inside my law firm

Lack of organization/clear expectations inside my law firm

Constantly needing to lower client's unrealistic expectations

The volume of communication needed to keep everyone up to date and happy

Needing to engage in conflict with other attorneys who are my friends

Other:

Required

Please explain your answer to the previous question in your own words *

Do you feel a more global sense of dissatisfaction with the law? E.g. It was not what I envisioned, I feel trapped by my decision and now have student loan debt. Or no, I feel a great sense of honor and pride in being able to advocate for others. Yes/No and explain: *

If you answered NO to the previous question, and you are satisfied with the practice of law, do you have any belief about what has helped you to feel such satisfaction? (Choose up to 3)

I have a strong vision for my professional life and stick to it.

I ritualistically adhere to my plans for self-care

I have achieved enough autonomy to choose my cases/clients/workload/work times

My workplace is aware of the stressors that comes with the practice and is supportive of minimizing them and fostering wellness

I genuinely love the things that are traditionally stressors: high work load, conflict, etc.

I might be a work-a-holic but I'm okay with that.

I have other outlets to cultivate other skills that help balance my career, such as volunteering or hobbies

The financial gain that comes with the profession

Other:

Do you believe the stresses presented in the legal profession are unreasonable to endure? *

No: these are common and we should find a way to cope

Yes: these stresses are too much and something about the legal profession needs to change.

Do you engage in rituals that help you manage these stressors? (Choose up to 4 favorites) *

Nothing in particular

Exercise

Breaks throughout the day (walks/coffee/social, etc)

Meditation and Mindfulness

Gratitude

Social time

Time with family

Alcohol (of any type- minor to major use)

Books/Magazines/TV

Creativity (Art/Music)

Refining the systems that cause stress (e.g. working on a system for better calendar control, better communication in office, etc)

I work on the interpersonal skills I need to handle all the conflict (e.g. how to have difficult conversations, negotiations, HR discussions, etc)

Therapy, coaching, or any other work with professional outsider

Other:

Required

In your own words, what are your best ways to manage stress? *

How to you make sure you have time/space to implement your stress management tools? (Choose up to 4) *

Calendar reminder

Same time every day

My family knows this is when I ___ [work out/meditate/etc] and do not interrupt.

My staff/office knows this is when I ___ [work out/meditate/etc] and do not interrupt.

I have an accountability buddy

i use a paid service

It is automatic for me, It is my way of life and I would never leave it out.

My office has a targeted program that helps me remember (e.g. required breaks, wellness activities, etc.)

I don't! I often times don't get to it.

Other:

Required

Other Comments/Concerns or Questions! *

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