In this wrap-up, Lawyers Weekly takes a look at the top 10 articles in 2025 about wellness and mental health in the legal profession.
Taking a look back at 2025, Lawyers Weekly has identified the top articles about wellness, mental health and burnout in this wrap-up.
The list includes personal stories from lawyers about how the profession impacted their mental health and how they overcame it.
It also touches on caselaw, data on wellbeing in law, and allegations made within one of Australia’s biggest law firms.
Here are the top 10 wellness stories for 2025:
10. Why this law student slowed down her degree
While many law students race to finish their degrees and jumpstart their careers, one law student has discovered the power of taking the scenic route and not rushing through one’s studies.
9. ‘Unfounded attacks’, stress and trauma continue to threaten judiciary
The various threats to judges’ mental and physical health, and subsequently “their capacity to judge well”, are increasingly being understood, according to a new report.
8. Report: 1/3 lawyers would leave their roles for better work/life balance
Work/life balance is the number one reason practitioners are considering leaving their roles, with flexible working being the most common non-financial benefit across the profession, new research from the College of Law has shown.
7. Burnout, breakthrough and the reimagined lawyer: One lawyer’s journey out of burnout
After 15 years of continuous practice, Mel Storey came to a realisation many lawyers reach only after it’s too late: the career she loved had been quietly wearing her down.
6. Why addressing vicarious trauma must become a leadership priority in law
If we want a healthy, sustainable legal profession, we need a different approach to addressing trauma in our work, writes Iolanthe Gabrie.
5. First Right to Disconnect case raises eyebrows, but not precedents
The first of what may well be many employment disputes pertaining to the Right to Disconnect has caught the attention of media outlets nationwide – but is there more smoke than fire?
4. Overwhelming work volume remains a significant challenge in-house
Law departments and their external providers are combating onerous workloads by focusing on short-term solutions, research shows.
3. How lawyer brain impacted this barrister’s mental health
A New Zealand-based KC recently shared insights with Lawyers Weekly about tackling depression while trying to continue with his professional career.
2. Why feelings of isolation are so common for barristers
Barristers’ independence can be a double-edged sword; while it allows autonomy, it also creates profound isolation, writes Rebecca Ward, MBA.
1. Psych injury lawsuit alleges bullying, excessive hours, discrimination at MinterEllison
MinterEllison is facing a lawsuit in the Federal Court from a former employee who alleges that she was bullied, discriminated against, overworked, and subject to “humiliation” during her tenure.
