{"id":4461,"date":"2006-03-29T13:45:46","date_gmt":"2006-03-29T17:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/03\/29\/do-lawyers-choose-to-be-unhap"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:02","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:02","slug":"do-lawyers-choose-to-be-unhappy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/03\/29\/do-lawyers-choose-to-be-unhappy\/","title":{"rendered":"do lawyers choose to be unhappy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
Yesterday, Robert <\/span>Ambrogi pointed<\/span><\/a> to yet another study — this time, <\/span><\/div>\n
The City & Guilds Happiness Index<\/em><\/span><\/a> from UK — showing how unhappy <\/span><\/div>\n
lawyers are with their jobs.\u00a0 In general, vocational workers seem happier <\/span><\/div>\n
than professionals.\u00a0 The factors that seem to create satisfaction are\u00a0being <\/span><\/div>\n
able to meet lots of different people and “feeling appreciated.”\u00a0 According <\/span><\/div>\n
to the Study: <\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\"checkedBoxS\" “Top of the list of reasons for feeling unhappy in their jobs is<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
feeling <\/span><\/span>stressed (55 per cent) and feeling underpaid (35 per cent).”<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
From f\/k\/a<\/em>‘s perspective, lawyers\u00a0in the USA and UK,\u00a0seem to stress\u00a0prestige <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
and <\/span><\/span>income far too much — causing them to choose the most stressful jobs, <\/span><\/div>\n
with <\/span>the highest demands on their time — and far too often feel under-respected, <\/span><\/div>\n
underappreciated and <\/span>underpaid. <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
surprising the worker
\nin the field…
\nout-of-season blooms<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
growing old–
\nby the hearth’s light
\npiecework<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Issa<\/span><\/a>, translated by David G. Lanoue<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
As Evan Schaeffer suggests<\/a> today, we do this to ourselves, by buy<\/span>ing into <\/span><\/div>\n
the Big Lie that Big Law is the only true source of success in our <\/span>profession. <\/span><\/div>\n
Partners make it worse by insisting on higher and higher PPP (profits per <\/span><\/div>\n
partner) — see <\/span>Adam Smith Esq<\/em><\/span><\/a> for analysis, and MorePartnerIncome<\/em><\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/div>\n
for the pathology, in action.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0However, a<\/span>s Prof. Patrick Schiltz<\/a>, <\/span>Steven Keeva<\/a>, <\/span><\/div>\n
and the f\/k\/a Gang<\/a> (repeatedly<\/span><\/a>) have pointed out, the greed of young <\/span>lawyers <\/span><\/div>\n
feeds into the <\/span>process, making it virtually impossible to cure on a systemic <\/span><\/div>\n
basis. <\/span><\/div>\n
.
\n<\/span><\/div>\n
All is not lost. <\/span>As we <\/span>said<\/a> in 2003:<\/span><\/div>\n
.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"checkedBoxSN\" In many ways, our profession is in such a sorry state because\u00a0law <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
schools\u00a0and firms\u00a0have adopted and perpetuated [perpetrated?] lowest-<\/span><\/div>\n
common-denominator values (mostly driven by greed and made worse <\/span><\/div>\n
by pretension), and because\u00a0individual<\/em> attorneys\u00a0have\u00a0gladly or blindly <\/span><\/div>\n
embraced those values.\u00a0\u00a0 Too many lawyers have then decided to live <\/span><\/div>\n
with, and made excuses for, the intolerable consequences.\u00a0\u00a0 That’s the <\/span><\/div>\n
bad news.\u00a0 The good news is that individuals can choose better values<\/em> <\/span><\/div>\n
in order to give better career advice, change institutions, or\u00a0make\u00a0cor-<\/span><\/div>\n
rections in their lives. <\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
We each can, with courage and “sacrifice”, take charge of our own life <\/span><\/span>and <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
happiness.\u00a0 Wanting less money and needing less prestige <\/span>will go a long way <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
toward nurturing healthy and happy attitudes.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
.<\/div>\n
p.s.<\/span><\/strong><\/em> The UK Happiness Index<\/em> had a finding that might surprise a lot <\/span><\/div>\n
of lawyers (and their significant others): They came in 6th, out of 28 <\/span><\/div>\n
careers for their Work\/Life Balance rating.\u00a0 Bankers came in last place. <\/span><\/div>\n
That should remind us that finding a satisfactory balance is not a unique <\/span><\/div>\n
curse for our profession. We made a <\/span>related point<\/span><\/a> last October, in con-<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
nection with Take Back Your Time Day: <\/span><\/div>\n
\"seesaw\"<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
Of course, lawyers love to see themselves as especially<\/em> <\/span><\/div>\n
overworked, over-stressed, and beset by <\/span>life balance issues<\/span><\/a> — <\/span><\/div>\n
and far too many are.\u00a0 I just want to point out that a very large <\/span><\/div>\n
percentage of adults (and children) in our nation feels the same <\/span><\/div>\n
pressures. <\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Not to\u00a0(unduly) belabor the obvious, that balance could be shifted in the <\/span><\/div>\n
right direction if<\/em> our income goals (and quotas) were reduced.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
visiting the dog\u2019s grave <\/span><\/div>\n
then away! <\/span><\/div>\n
grasshopper<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

the baby mosquito <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

tries out <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

his nose <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n
living dangerously<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

the kite skims<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

the river<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

dead by drowning<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

in the deep cup<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

gnat<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
David G. Lanoue<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“visiting” & “baby mosquito” – the novel <\/span>Dewdrop World<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a> (<\/span>free download<\/span><\/a>) <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>“living” & “dead” – from his novel The Laughing Buddha<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

potluck<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"tiny In another update to our wordless Italian<\/a> post, we wonder why a conser-<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

vative “American jurist” is citing a foreign source in a Letter to the Editor.\u00a0 On the <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

merits, we ask<\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Did Nino move those fingers slowly, or <\/em><\/span>with the rapid, <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

single motion that is far more insulting (and one might <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

deem obscene)?<\/span><\/em> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“KiteG”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, Robert Ambrogi pointed to yet another study — this time, The City & Guilds Happiness Index from UK — showing how unhappy lawyers are with their jobs.\u00a0 In general, vocational workers seem happier than professionals.\u00a0 The factors that seem to create satisfaction are\u00a0being able to meet lots of different people and “feeling appreciated.”\u00a0 According […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-19X","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4461"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12710,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4461\/revisions\/12710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}