It is certain that lawyers and attorneys experience tremendous pressure in the workplace. Aside from the great demand of focus required to fulfill tedious job obligations, lawyers must also work directly with clients, generate and submit documents, abide by strict deadlines, and communicate these processes with their clients. This translates to a high-pressure atmosphere in which attorneys are often overworked, causing them to suffer from lack of sleep, lack of socialization, and little time for recreation. Due to understaffing issues in law firms, lawyers often suffer severe burnout and experience little job satisfaction despite high pay.
Corporate lawyers, those who specialize in corporate law, face these same pressures, and oftentimes, these demands are even greater. Corporate attorneys, often referred to as transactional lawyers, are responsible for advising clients of their legal rights, duties, and responsibilities. Because a corporate attorney’s job is to provide accurate guidance on issues that have the ability to deeply affect a business’ success and wellbeing, the stresses corporate lawyers face can be consuming if not dealt with properly. For these reasons and many others, lawyers and those in legal professions have been identified as a high-risk group for addiction and substance use disorders, creating the need for addiction treatment programs specific to attorneys and other legal professions.
