疫情以来法律服务需求的飙升带来了一系列连锁反应：一方面，律所以加薪等方式加速争抢人才；另一方面，法律从业者，尤其年轻律师遭遇了严重的精神耗损，面临职业倦怠危机，甚至出现所谓“大离职潮”。ALB与几位律师团队管理者聊了聊帮助年轻律师打破倦怠的经验。
心理健康机构LawCare对英国律师展开的一项调查显示，法律人几乎都经历过心理健康问题的困扰，包括情绪低落、焦虑和抑郁等。其中受影响最大的是处于26至35岁之间的年轻律师。职业带来的精神损耗引发了人才的流失，这在初级律师中尤为明显。
2021年，美国律所大约丢失了约四分之一的初级律师；新加坡同样出现了创纪录的离职人数，去年共有538名律师离职，其中大部分执业时间不到五年，这个数字比前一年高出30%。
不久前，ALB针对执业1-5年的中国初级法律人展开调研。在近300位受访者中，56%的人表示自己经常有离开律所/法务团队的打算；37%的初级律师承认有时会产生这一想法；只有7%的受访者表示自己完全没有离职的冲动。可见在中国法律界，离职念头的频繁产生也已是普遍现象。
当被问及想要离职的原因，薪资不到位、工作负荷重、精神压力大分别以61%、49%及42%的占比位列前三；机构无法提供较好的晋升路径和职业发展道路则以较小差距紧随其后。调查还发现，年轻一代对于工作环境和同事间相处的氛围也格外在意，“职场PUA”一度成为热议话题。
除了工作本身的持续高压，疫情的爆发也使本就疲惫不堪的情况雪上加霜。调研显示，65%的受访律师表示2020年疫情发生后，自己在职场明显感受到了身心俱疲感的增长。
面对种种压力，有趣的是，年轻律师针对工作和生活的态度也在转变。如果说老一代律师更将“废寝忘食”“舍小家为大家”“事业大于生活”视为律师应有的理念，将承受工作重担视为律师成长的必经之路，新一代法律人虽依旧追求专业高度，但对高强度工作量、不合理的工作时间、“有毒”的律所文化等表现出了更低的接受度。
ALB调研中73%的初级律师就表示，面对繁重的工作，个人需要积极主动地寻求工作与生活间的平衡；只有27%的受访者依旧认为，与工作相关的压力和痛苦是个人职业道路成长的必经之路。
更年轻，更多压力
如何调整良好的心态，如何找到忙碌工作与理想生活之间的平衡，因此成为了年轻法律人——以及团队管理合伙人——一直在寻求的答案。
在中国律所中，从年龄结构看，90后律师已经成长为业务主力，00后律师也已经开始入行。君合律师事务所上海办公室合伙人何侃律师告诉ALB，君合每个业务组的律师团队目前基本由1990-1999年出生的法律人构成，许多90后已成为资深律师。
阳光时代律师事务所合伙人张建来律师也告诉ALB：他所在团队一半以上都是90后的年轻律师。不过张律师坦言，法律行业内的“代沟”并不算明显，因为“行业特质导致了律师群体普遍拥有稳重性格……律师是个相对保守而严谨的行业，太过于个性化，不一定适合走上律师的职业道路。”
当然，个性或许相仿，但代际差异也是现实。君合律师事务所北京办公室合伙人郑宇律师在与年轻律师的沟通中发现：“对于年轻一代，除了物质上的需求，精神层面的渴望更高。需求的多元化是合伙人带领以及管理律师过程中面临的一大挑战。”
在何侃律师看来，这或许和“年轻一代成长环境普遍较为富足，他们从国内知名法学院毕业，许多人同时具备海外留学背景”相关，对他们来说，薪酬和奖金在职业选择中依然占据重要地位，但并不是全部。“过去直接有效的金钱激励不再立竿见影，相反，其他非物质层面更受年轻律师关注。”何律师说。
更多元的追求可能恰恰导致了年轻一代压力阈值的变化。同时，资深律师也意识到，当今的年轻人正和他们面临着截然不同的社会环境及压力。
“很难说压力孰轻孰重，但对年轻一代来讲，压力确实有所不同。随着法律服务行业的不断进步发展，年轻律师面临的行业竞争压力更大，要想有所成就，需要在业务上投入更多时间和精力。”
- 张建来，阳光时代律师事务所
“很难说（年轻人和老一代）压力孰轻孰重，但对年轻一代来讲，压力确实有所不同。”张建来律师坦言，“随着法律服务行业的不断进步发展，年轻律师面临的行业竞争压力更大，要想有所成就，需要在业务上投入更多时间和精力。”
何侃律师也认为，年轻律师面临着高度竞争的压力环境。他以君合为例，“首先，进入君合的门槛就比较高，后续如何在高度竞争的环境中生存下去，并在最后成功获得晋升，又是新的压力”，他坦言。
“另一方面，从生活上讲，尤其在上海、北京这样的一线城市，生活成本较高，年轻人在成家、购房等方面也同样面临着巨大的压力。”何律师补充道。
郑宇律师对此颇有感触。他举了个例子，“旅行过程中，律师都会随身带着电脑，一旦有工作需要，找个安静的地方写文件、发邮件，对我们来说是家常便饭，电脑就像是律师身体的一部分……能够离开办公室到外地工作，就算是一次真正的休假了”。
管理情绪
面对以上种种，对于团队管理者来说，学习如何安抚并管理团队情绪，正成为重要的课程以及工作组成部分。
上述LawCare调研指出，对律师心理健康影响最大的因素是能否获得合伙人面对面的沟通支持，这也与几位受访律师的观点不谋而合。面对年轻律师和他们背负的巨大身心压力，他们表示，沟通是缓解焦虑、解决问题的最佳方法。
张建来律师分析道，年轻律师在工作中面临的压力和不良情绪大体来源于几个方面，“一是工作量太大，加不完的班；二是工作难度大，难以应对；三是遇到职业瓶颈，对发展前景迷茫”。因此，团队负责人需要有充分的认知和辨识力，及时给予肯定和鼓励，并有针对性地帮助年轻人缓解压力。
“法律行业有自身特点，每一位合伙人都是从一年级律师慢慢成长起来的，因此年轻一代所遇到的99%的困惑及难题，我们都有过同样的经历。这让我们提出的建议不会是‘隔靴搔痒’。”
- 何侃，君合律师事务所
“法律行业有自身特点，每一位合伙人都是从一年级律师慢慢成长起来的，因此年轻一代所遇到的99%的困惑及难题，我们都有过同样的经历。”何侃律师说。“这让我们提出的建议不会是‘隔靴搔痒’。”
除了主动询问，郑宇律师也十分鼓励年轻一代勇敢向合伙人吐露心声，而不只是与小伙伴抱头痛哭。
此外，郑律师提议，培养业余爱好也不失为放松自己的好办法，只有保持可持续发展的心态，律师才能够实现一步步的成长。“在成为一流的法律专家之前，律师首先也是一个人：一个不光有专业，也有才、有趣、有爱的人。”他说。
主观疏导之外，何侃律师指出，借助制度实现精细化管理也是有效手段，例如君合的律师池制度为合理的工作分配打下了基础。此外，合伙人每个月会收到律师工作量统计报表，数据能够清楚反应每一位律师的工作负荷，合伙人也会及时作出调整，让工作量在团队成员之间得到合理分配。
来自前辈的建议
当然，再多来自合伙人的协助有时也难以抵挡时代观念的变更。据领英发布的《第一份工作趋势洞察》显示，职场人第一份工作的平均在职时间呈现出随代际显著递减的趋势。70后平均4年多才会更换第一份工作，80后是3年半，90后则骤减到19个月，95后更是仅仅在职7个月就选择了辞职。
较高的人员流动率向来也是法律行业的客观现实，因此，面对初级律师频繁离职的现象，几位受访合伙人都表示出了理解。
虽然团队的高稳定性一直是律所的追求，然而对于律师个人而言，张建来律师认为离职未必是坏事。“对于刚踏入律师行业的年轻人来说，对于自身和行业的认知都有一定的盲目性，可能选择的平台并不适合自己，有个试错的过程。有错就要改，及时跳槽，对于自己和律所都是最负责任的态度。”张律师说。
然而，对于有了一定经验积累的律师而言，谨慎则是关键。“尽快确定专业方向，即便跳槽，也尽量保持专业上的连续性、考虑社会资源的连贯性，以防跳槽后重头再来。”张律师建议道。
何侃律师则表示：“年轻一代频繁跳槽的原因因人而异，对此并没有一个固定的解决公式，制定出既符合事务所最大利益，也符合员工最大利益的共赢标准是重中之重。”给出职业指导、提供资源介绍、助力出国深造、外派甲方体验等，都可以一定程度缓解年轻一代的跳槽问题。
“年轻律师需要进行综合且谨慎的评估后再做出跳槽决定，但每一个决定也都该被尊重…在困难中保持乐观、在忙碌中保持活力、在挑战中保持自信、在世俗中保持善良、在奋力中保持健康。”
- 郑宇，君合律师事务所
郑宇律师建议，年轻律师需要进行综合且谨慎的评估后再做出跳槽的决定，但每一个决定也都应该被尊重。“人生需要快乐，也同样需要拼搏，律师作为手艺人，最可贵的便是厚积薄发。”因此，在困难中保持乐观、在忙碌中保持活力、在挑战中保持自信、在世俗中保持善良、在奋力中保持健康，是他给年轻一代的建议。
有时候，与其换个环境重新开始，不如尝试在既有的境况下达致平衡。“把工作与生活糅合起来，达成一种动态的平衡……见缝插针，在工作的间隙享受生活的乐趣，寻求一种折中的方式也未尝不可。”郑宇律师说。
“工作是为了更好地生活，而生活则是工作的意义。”张建来律师同样认为二者并不一定相互割裂和对立。“如果足够热爱律师这份职业，或许就不会抱怨加班、学习、出差、社交等工作内容带来的打扰。”他表示，“当这份职业真正可以带来价值与成就感，很多抱怨就会自然消解了。”
BURNOUT GENERATION
Soaring demand for legal services since the pandemic has brought about a series of chain reactions: while law firms have launched talent wars by offering salary increases, legal practitioners, especially young lawyers, have suffered serious mental fatigue and faced burnout, triggering what is now known globally as the Great Resignation. ALB speaks to industry leaders about their experience in helping young lawyers beat burnout.
According to a survey of UK lawyers by LawCare, almost all legal professionals have experienced mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, with young lawyers between the age of 26 and 35 being the most affected. Job-induced burnout leads to brain drain, which is particularly noticeable among junior lawyers.
In 2021, US firms lost about a quarter of their junior fee-earners. Singapore also saw a record 538 departures last year, 30 percent higher than the previous year. Most of the departures are those that have practiced for less than five years.
In a recent ALB survey of junior Chinese lawyers with one to five years of practice, 56 percent of the nearly 300 respondents say they frequent think about resigning, 37 percent admit that this thought occurs from time to time, and only seven percent say they have no desire to leave.
When it comes to the reasons for leaving, the top three given are inadequate pay (61 percent), heavy workload (49 percent) and high pressure (42 percent), followed closely by the lack of an attractive promotion path and narrow career prospects. The survey also highlights the emphasis placed by the younger generation on the working environment and team atmosphere, with "workplace PUA" – an Internet term to describe a boss who uses psychological controls an employee to make them work under poor conditions - a hot topic.
The pandemic has exacerbated the high pressure of work itself. Sixty-five percent of the lawyers surveyed report increasing physical and mental fatigue in workplace after the pandemic.
Interestingly, young lawyers' attitude toward work and life is also changing. The older generation might have regarded the sacrificing of private and family life for work as something that was required of lawyers, with a heavy workload being inevitable. However, the new generation, while still pursuing professional growth, are less tolerant of heavy workloads, unreasonable hours and toxic law firm culture.
Seventy-three percent of junior lawyers in the ALB survey say that individuals should actively seek work-life balance, and only 27 percent still believe that work-related stress is part of career growth.
YOUNGER BUT MORE STRESSED
Ensuring that lawyers have a good mindset while finding the ideal work-life balance has thus become the solution that young lawyers, as well as law firm leaders have been looking for.
In Chinese firms, lawyers of the “90s generation” have grown to be key players, while those of the “2000s generation” have begun to enter the profession. Daniel He, partner in the Shanghai office of JunHe, tells ALB that each practice group of JunHe currently mainly comprises professionals born between 1990 and 1999, and many of the “90s generation” are already senior lawyers.
According to Zhang Jianlai, partner of Sunshine Law Firm, over half of his team are young lawyers born after 1990. However, generation gap in the legal industry is not obvious as "the nature of the industry means most lawyers are quite emotionally stable, and lawyering is a relatively conservative and rigorous profession, and those with a strong personality may not be suitable as lawyers."
Of course, personalities may be similar, but intergenerational differences are also real. Zheng Yu, partner of JunHe's Beijing office, finds that "young lawyers place more emphasis on spiritual needs in addition to material needs, their diversified needs represent a major challenge to partners in leading and managing teams."
To He, this may be because "the younger generation generally grow up in an affluent environment, with many graduating from top domestic law schools, and some having studied abroad." To the young, money is still important but not everything. "Monetary incentives that worked in the past are no longer immediately effective. Younger lawyers value other non-material aspects more," says He.
The search for more diversified pursuits may have changed the stress threshold for the younger generation. Meanwhile, senior lawyers are also aware that young people face completely different pressures.
- Zhang Jianlai, Sunshine Law Firm
"It's hard to say whether the younger or the older generation face more pressure, but pressure for the younger generation is indeed different," admits Zhang, "young lawyers are facing greater competition, and must invest more time and energy to stand out."
He also points to the highly competitive environment young lawyers face. JunHe is an example: "The bar for joining JunHe is high. How to survive in this environment and be promoted is a new set of pressure," says He.
"Further, the cost of living is very high in tier-1 cities. Young people face great pressure in starting a family and buying a house," adds He.
Zheng concurs. For example, "when travelling, lawyers take their laptops with them and find a quiet place to work. Being able to leave the office and work in another location is already a vacation."
MANAGING EMOTIONS
For managers, learning how to sooth and manage the emotions of their teams is becoming important.
The LawCare survey shows that the biggest factor affecting lawyers' mental health is whether they get face-to-face support from partners. The lawyers interviewed all believe communication is the best way to alleviate anxiety and solve problems for young lawyers and the great physical and mental pressure they bear.
According to Zhang, the pressure faced by young lawyers generally come from "heavy workload, difficult and complex work, and career growth bottlenecks." Leaders must be fully aware of these issues, give timely affirmation and encouragement to young lawyers, and help them relieve pressure.
- Daniel He, JunHe
"Every partner was once a junior lawyer,” says He. “Therefore, we have experienced 99 percent of the puzzles and problems encountered by the younger generation. This means the suggestions we give will not just be 'scratching the surface.'"
Zheng also encourages younger lawyers to confide in partners, rather than just speaking to peers.
He also suggests young lawyers to cultivate hobbies. Zheng suggests: "Before becoming a top expert, a lawyer is firstly a human being who is not only professional, but also talented, interesting and loving."
He believes it is also effective to achieve refined management with the help of systems. For example, JunHe's lawyer pool system lays the foundation for reasonable work distribution. Partners also receive monthly workload statements, which can clearly reflect the pressure faced by each lawyer and facilitate timely adjustment.
SUGGESTIONS FROM SENIORS
The support from partners, however much, will not be able to overcome the changes in mindsets. According to LinkedIn's First Job Trend Insight, the average length of workers in their first jobs shows significant decrease by generation. On average, the 70s generation change their first jobs after more than four years, and this figure is 3.5 years for those from the 80s. Meanwhile, the 90 generation last only 19 months on their first jobs, and those born after 1995 resign after merely seven months.
The legal industry has always had high turnover. The partners interviewed all acknowledge the frequent resignation of junior lawyers.
Although firms always want their teams to remain stable, Zhang believes that leaving is not necessarily bad. "Young people who have just entered the profession may not know themselves and the industry well. As a result, the platforms they choose may not suit them. There is a trial-and-error process, and errors should be correctly quickly. Changing jobs promptly is responsible for both themselves and the firms," Zhang points out.
However, for more senior lawyers, caution is key. Zhang's suggestion is that they should determine their specialization as soon as possible. “Even if they change jobs, they should maintain professional continuity and consider keeping social resources to prevent starting from scratch again," adds Zhang.
To He, "the reasons for the frequent job hopping of the younger generation vary, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The top priority is to develop a win-win benchmark that is in the best interests of both the firm and its employees." Giving career guidance, providing resource referrals, helping young lawyers to study abroad and seconding them to clients may all alleviate this problem to a certain extent.
- Zheng Yu, JunHe
Zheng suggests young lawyers make a comprehensive and careful assessment before changing jobs, although every decision should be respected. "Happiness and hard work are equally important. Lawyers are craftsmen whose value lies in the gradual sharing of accumulated experience," says Zheng. Therefore, he exhorts younger lawyers to remain optimistic in adversity, active when work gets busy, self-confident when challenged, kind in life and healthy when striving for the best.
Sometimes, instead of starting over again, young lawyers can try to strike a balance in the existing setting. "Combine work and life to achieve a dynamic balance, and it's not impossible to find a compromise," says Zheng.
"Work is for a better life, and life is the meaning of work,” says Zhang. “If you really love lawyering, you probably will not complain about overtime, study, business trips, networking, etc. When the job truly brings value and a sense of achievement, a lot of complaints will naturally disappear."
