At the risk of stating what perhaps should be obvious, lawyers valued for their abilities and insight are generally happier. They are certainly happier than those valued almost entirely on their production (i.e., billable hours). The latter group is by and large less healthy than the former. And in the long run, the happier lawyers are more–not less– productive than their unhappy, stressed out brethren.
Makes sense, right? Then why do so many law firms evaluate and compensate lawyers–especially associates–based on the billable hour yardstick? Maybe it’s because of a lack of empirical data demonstrating the advantages of the long-term view. If so (and as set out below, I am not convinced that that is the case), at least now there is data that confirms the obvious. Happier lawyers are more likely to be more productive over the long haul.
A recent Study was done by Krill Strategies, a consulting firm that endeavors to understand and address lawyer mental health and workplace stress, and the University of Minnesota’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
The Study, which was peer-reviewed and recently published in the scientific journal Behavioral Sciences, confirmed what many of us have long suspected. One thousand nine hundred fifty-nine legal professionals participated in the Study; 50% were women.
The main takeaway: lawyers whose firms do not value them except based on billable or provide little other feedback are the most unhappy. They also have the worst health outcomes overall.
The Study broke down the participants into three groups. The most problematic group consisted of lawyers who felt unvalued by their employer except based on productivity. (The group also included those who lacked insight into what their employer valued about them). The lawyers falling into the undervalued group were primarily from firms that value productivity
