A lot of lawyers believe they shouldn’t feel burned out because they haven’t been practicing very long. But burnout isn’t measured by years in the profession. For many lawyers, it started long before their first legal job. 

Sarah hears from people who have only been in practice a few years and are already exhausted, overwhelmed, or checked out. They feel embarrassed or confused because they can point to colleagues who have been doing it longer. But measuring burnout by the calendar misses the reality of how it develops—especially for high-achieving perfectionists who have been pushing themselves for years before they ever set foot in a law firm.

See show notes at formerlawyer.com/288