Phase II of the national study on wellness in the legal profession, with a specific report on New Brunswick, is released
Fredericton, October 16, 2024 – The second phase of the national study on wellness in the legal profession has been published, sharing critical insights into the mental, physical, and emotional challenges within the legal profession in New Brunswick.
The first phase of the study, released in 2022, presented an overview of the mental health and wellness of Canadian legal professionals. This second phase of the project contextualizes those findings and provides detailed feedback to inform recommendations that consider factors in New Brunswick.
This report addresses the three mental health and wellness themes most frequently reported as priorities for participating legal professionals in New Brunswick: Work-life balance, working conditions and cognitive demands, and billable hours.
Some key findings from Phase II of the study include that 46.4% of participating legal professionals in New Brunswick said they have a poor ability to psychologically detach from work and that almost one in four study participants receives little help and support from their supervisor.
New Brunswick was also the sole province or territory to cite billable hour targets as one of the top three important mental health themes to address for legal professionals: 67.9% of study participants in the province responded they feel pressure around having to meet their billable-hour targets.
The study shares current well-being initiatives introduced in New Brunswick, some of which align with the recommendations from Phase I. It also offers a non-exhaustive list of existing resources for legal professionals in their jurisdiction, along with insights into what more can be done.
“The findings from this national study underscore the unique challenges and pressures faced by legal professionals, including those in New Brunswick. This report not only highlights the areas where we need to focus our efforts but also provides a roadmap for creating a healthier, more sustainable legal profession in our province. The CBA NB is committed to addressing these issues head-on by promoting initiatives that support mental health, work-life balance, and overall well-being.” said Laura Cutler, CBA NB President.
The Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Practice of Law in Canada project is a partnership between the Université de Sherbrooke, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association. It is the first comprehensive national study of its kind of the legal profession in Canada and represents five years of research.
For many years, the CBA has recognized the unique needs of our profession and worked to find solutions that allow our members to lead healthy, balanced lives. Since 1989, the CBA’s Well-Being initiative has been offering support, providing advice, and developing training to support Canada’s legal professionals to lead healthy, balanced lives. The report will help guide our continued work in the years ahead.