Burnout in the Legal Profession:
Why Women May Be at Higher Risk
— and What We Can Do About It
Tuesday 21 April, 2026
12.00 – 1.00 pm, online
Studies show that lawyers experience significantly higher levels of burnout than many other professions, with 62% of legal professionals reporting burnout in the past year*.
Long hours and demanding clients are nothing new in the legal profession. But many lawyers today report something deeper than everyday stress — cognitive exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, brain fog, or a growing sense of disconnection from work that once felt engaging.
In this practical one-hour session, we explored why burnout is so prevalent in the legal profession, why women may be at greater risk, and how aspects of modern working can contribute.
The session also covered how to recognise early warning signs in yourself and colleagues, along with practical, science-based strategies to prevent burnout and support sustainable performance at work.
*Realm Recruit, 2025
Resources
You can download the Preventing Burnout Toolkit here.
If you’d like a more personalised view and want a deep dive into your stress profile: You can take the AURA assessment here.
If you’re currently feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to reach out—support makes a significant difference.
- Talk to a trusted colleague, friend or family member
- Free helpline: Samaritans (UK) – 116 123
Additional support:
- LawCare: https://lawcare.org.uk/
- Jonathan’s Voice: https://jonathansvoice.org.uk/
- Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/
You can watch a recording of the webinar below.
Meet the speaker
Rachel Austen is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist who began specialising in workplace burnout after experiencing it herself. For the past 10 years, she has helped individuals and organisations tackle this challenge. She spent many years working in Asia and has extensive experience supporting companies across a wide range of industries, particularly in the legal sector. She has run her own consulting company, AURA, since 2015.
In her spare time, she is a keen trail runner and has completed 100km ultramarathons in locations around the world.
Website: www.rachelausten.co.uk
Who was it for?
The event was open to everyone working in IP, across all roles and all genders. Whether you are an attorney, paralegal, in HR, marketing, IT, finance, or recruitment, if you work in IP this event was for you.
Registration
This event was free. So are all our resources. That said, we do need money to keep the show on the road, so if you enjoy the event please consider making a donation. For more information, visit the IP Inclusive fundraising page.
If you have any access requirements for this event, please get in touch with us at [email protected] and we’ll do what we can to help.