The Canadian Legal Summit will feature experts linking workplace values to lawyer well-being
When we talk about mental health in the legal profession, the conversation often comes back to flexibility, wellness programs, and the need for more humane workplaces. These are vital steps, but as the profession continues to grapple with burnout, attrition, and disengagement, it’s time to look deeper. If we want to make real progress, we must also confront the question of purpose – and how our compensation models, workplace cultures, and professional values either support or undermine it.
Why the billable hour model fails lawyers and law firms
In her recent column, Faren Bogach, founder of Construct Legal, makes a compelling case for why the traditional billable hour model is failing both lawyers and law firms. She writes, “the most essential part of the firm is the people... Without the right people, technology is underutilized, clients are underserved, and the business model unravels.” Yet, as Bogach points out, the billable hour punishes efficiency, discourages collaboration, and drives away exactly the kind of lawyers firms should want to keep. The result is not just burnout, but a quiet exodus of talent from private practice – one that comes at a steep cost to firms and clients alike.
What’s striking is how often these conversations about mental health and compensation end with a call for flexibility or more supportive environments. But Bogach’s piece goes further, arguing that lawyers – especially younger lawyers – are not rejecting hard work. They are rejecting systems that treat them as “billable units, not people.” They want to be part of firms that value balance, fairness, and, crucially, purpose.
Burnout in law: a workplace crisis, not just a personal issue
This longing for purpose is not just about individual fulfillment. As Dr. Traci Cipriano, a clinical psychologist and former lawyer, emphasized in our recent interview, burnout in law is not just a personal issue – it is a workplace crisis, rooted in the clash between individual needs and workplace demands. “The World Health Organization actually defines burnout as a workplace phenomenon,” she told me. Real change, she argues, requires more than self-care: it demands leadership that is willing to examine the structures and expectations that drive distress, and to create environments where lawyers can find meaning and support – not just relief from overwork. The needs and pain points are different in each organization, but the solution must be systemic, not just individual.
The profession’s greater purpose: upholding justice and the rule of law
But the responsibility doesn’t stop with law firm leaders or workplace policies. As Cheryl Foy recently argued, lawyers are not mere technicians or hired guns; we are “guardians of democracy and the rule of law.” Our professional oaths require us to uphold justice, act with integrity, and safeguard the rights and freedoms of all Canadians. In a time when democracy and the rule of law are under threat, this is not a theoretical responsibility – it is a daily, practical one that requires courage, vigilance, and a willingness to speak out. If lawyers won’t defend the ideals of justice and the rule of law, who will?
Moving beyond surface fixes: building purpose-driven legal workplaces
If we want to improve mental health in the legal profession, we need to move beyond surface-level fixes and address the deeper question: What are we here for? Are we measuring our value by hours billed, or by the impact we have on our clients, our communities, and our country? Are we fostering environments where lawyers feel they are part of something bigger than themselves – or are we driving them away with broken incentives and opaque systems?
Canadian Legal Summit: a forum for purpose and well-being
As we look ahead to the Canadian Legal Summit (where Bogach, Cipriano and Foy will appear), these are precisely the questions we need to ask. The summit is not just a chance to learn new skills or network with peers – it is an opportunity to reflect on our shared purpose, and how we can build a profession that supports both our mental health and our highest ideals.
Let’s use this moment to move beyond the billable hour – and toward a profession that values, and sustains, its people and its purpose.
The Canadian Legal Summit is one of the top lawyer conferences in Canada this year. Read the list of must-attend events for legal professionals at every stage of their career here.
