Law firms are ignoring young lawyers' pleas to stand up to Trump, and it's taking a toll. But for minority lawyers, the stress is even worse. Are we on the verge of a mental health crisis in Big Law?
An interesting article!! I mean, for sure, there are still good people in Big Law — people trying to do the right thing in a system that often makes it hard.
But what the article captures so powerfully is the deeper disillusionment many feel: a disconnect between the ideals we were sold and the realities we now face.
Funnily enough, this is actually something I also wrote about in From Big Law to Big WTF. The quiet unraveling that happens when the values you believed in start to feel negotiable.
For many in big law, the challenges faced is now more than just the hours. It’s the erosion of trust, identity, and belonging.
In case you’re interested, my article is here. I’d love to know what you think.
As someone who worked for BigLaw before DEI and affinity groups were a thing and you could count the African American partners across all of BigLaw on one hand, I never thought BIG LAW cared. They had these programs so they could check the box on due diligence questionnaires for big companies that cared. The wind has changed and they have too. How many equity partners that are Black or Brown exist across Big Law?
Thank you for giving voice to concerns about the whitewashing of DEI in Big Law. Although I understand and sympathize with the desire of many firms to fly under the radar and accept as genuine their overarching commitment to DEI, your column speaks to the offensiveness and costs of obeyance. For all of its faults and weaknesses, DEI had become a rally cry, a flag of sorts, for progress in Big Law. Whitewashing is a setback, but we have to continue the fight for DEI and we will regain all of our lost ground and move forward beyond past achievements. I applaud and stand with you and those who believe we must continue to move forward towards a diverse, equitable, and inclusive profession.
An interesting article!! I mean, for sure, there are still good people in Big Law — people trying to do the right thing in a system that often makes it hard.
But what the article captures so powerfully is the deeper disillusionment many feel: a disconnect between the ideals we were sold and the realities we now face.
Funnily enough, this is actually something I also wrote about in From Big Law to Big WTF. The quiet unraveling that happens when the values you believed in start to feel negotiable.
For many in big law, the challenges faced is now more than just the hours. It’s the erosion of trust, identity, and belonging.
In case you’re interested, my article is here. I’d love to know what you think.
https://fenixway.substack.com/p/from-big-law-to-big-wtf-am-i-doing
As someone who worked for BigLaw before DEI and affinity groups were a thing and you could count the African American partners across all of BigLaw on one hand, I never thought BIG LAW cared. They had these programs so they could check the box on due diligence questionnaires for big companies that cared. The wind has changed and they have too. How many equity partners that are Black or Brown exist across Big Law?
Thank you for giving voice to concerns about the whitewashing of DEI in Big Law. Although I understand and sympathize with the desire of many firms to fly under the radar and accept as genuine their overarching commitment to DEI, your column speaks to the offensiveness and costs of obeyance. For all of its faults and weaknesses, DEI had become a rally cry, a flag of sorts, for progress in Big Law. Whitewashing is a setback, but we have to continue the fight for DEI and we will regain all of our lost ground and move forward beyond past achievements. I applaud and stand with you and those who believe we must continue to move forward towards a diverse, equitable, and inclusive profession.
So your big concern today is about the mental health of a subset of the most affluent young Americans?
Here's a tip: they'll be fine.