In March 2024, VLSB+C supported a new study into lawyer wellbeing, workplace culture and ethics by researchers from Australian National University and the University of Melbourne.

Along with our Uniform Law Partners in New South Wales and Western Australia, we invited lawyers practising under the Uniform Law Scheme to complete a confidential survey about their experiences of wellbeing, culture and ethics.

We are pleased to share initial findings from this survey, available for download below.

These initial findings support previous research findings in lawyer wellbeing, while delivering new insights via indicators of positive workplace wellbeing for lawyers. Initial insights include: 

• Across ten indicators of positive wellbeing, the highest rated elements for respondent lawyers were relationships and meaning in work and the lowest was physical health.
• Initial findings confirm and extend on previous research on perceptions of ethical climates in legal workplaces and support a correlation between a more positive ethical climate and higher levels of wellbeing.
• Three ethical climate dimensions were identified: positive ethical climate, self-interest / protection, and power / ethical flexibility. Around two thirds of respondents reported that they practise in a positive ethical climate.
• Around a third of respondent lawyers report experiencing moderate to severe levels of psychological distress.
• Initial findings indicate similar experiences for respondent lawyers on the researched topics across the three jurisdictions, highlighting the opportunity for collaborative responses across the states.  Differences of experiences across demographic and practising certificate type will be explored in the full report. 

A more detailed analysis of the survey data is now underway.  Findings will be available in a full report in the coming months.

There were close to 1900 completed survey responses and we thank those lawyers who took the time to share their valuable insights for inclusion in this project. Your participation will go on to help shape evidence-based initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of wellbeing within the legal profession. 

About the VLSB+C lawyer wellbeing program 

The VLSB+C is working with the legal profession to shift the conversation about lawyer wellbeing away from an emphasis on personal resilience, to highlight the systemic drivers of poor wellbeing and identify what changes might be needed to improve wellbeing outcomes. 

As the regulator of the legal profession, we see the negative impacts of poor wellbeing for lawyers and consumers of legal services, and are taking an active role through our lawyer wellbeing program to collaborate across the sector. 

Our program seeks to drive positive change, particularly at a system level, and organisational level, rather than exclusively focusing on the individual resilience of lawyers. Find out more on our lawyer wellbeing web pages.