LawCare CEO urges junior lawyers to seek help with workload pressures

Ellie Nicholl (she/her) is senior content and engagement coordinator at LawCareers.Net

Reading time: two minutes

The pressures faced by aspiring and early‑career lawyers were examined in the latest episode of the LawCareers.Net Podcast, with CEO of mental health charity LawCare Elizabeth Rimmer highlighting that “long hours are so deeply embedded in legal culture that junior lawyers often don’t feel they have permission to speak up”.

In the episode, Elizabeth spoke about the changing attitudes to mental health, long‑hours culture and the practical realities of seeking support in the early stages of a legal career. Many individuals contacted the mental health charity simply to talk through concerns they felt unable to raise elsewhere, according to Elizabeth who stressed that “needing support isn’t a weakness – it’s just part of being human”. She outlined LawCare’s role in providing confidential emotional support to people across the legal profession, including students, trainees and those in their first few years of practice.

The discussion drew on findings from LawCare’s Life in the Law 2025 report, which highlighted how long working hours remained a norm across much of the legal profession. Elizabeth noted that often junior lawyers are hesitant to challenge workloads, particularly in competitive environments where there was concern about being perceived as “not committed or not good enough”.

The conversation highlighted how capacity discussions were often more productive when framed around quality of work and prioritisation rather than personal difficulty. As Elizabeth put it, “I want to do my best work here” was often a more effective starting point.

Elizabeth also reflected on her time leading LawCare ahead of stepping down as CEO later this year. She encouraged early‑career lawyers to remain mindful of what motivated them to enter the profession and to recognise the breadth of career paths available within law, describing the legal sector as “a massive ecosystem” with opportunities beyond traditional routes, such as in-house opportunities.

You can hear the full conversation on SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, or via the Podcast page on LawCareers.Net.

Interested in finding out more about mental health in the legal profession? Read this Feature on work/life balance in law and check out this LCN Says from Elizabeth on Gen Z’s approach to legal careers.