A few months ago I came across research study* on the concept of "over-engagement" and its impact on lawyers. This term refers to a commitment of so much focus, time, and energy on work that other life domains (e.g., relationships, physical health, intellectual pursuits, spirituality, emotional health, etc.) are neglected.
Over-engagement was found to at least partially explain (1) the connection between high workloads and burnout and (2) why a lack of control over the timing and manner of the work to be done contributes to burnout. For the first point, too much attention to work simply doesn't leave much left for anything else. For the second, not being able to reliably attend to anything other than work also doesn't leave time for anything else. Both cases predispose the individual to burnout. So while engagement itself is a good thing, "engagement" at the expense of everything else is not.
The takeaway here is that the individual cannot sacrifice other, non-work domains of their lives without risking psychological and emotional consequences.
Earlier this week I had the privilege of speaking at Penn State's law school on this topic, specifically as it relates to attorney rules of professional conduct. There, we talked about how every practicing attorney is bound to a duty of competence and diligence, which turns in part on their capacity to attend to client matters. To the extent an attorney's capacity for productivity becomes compromised--as a result of burnout, for example--so does their ability to serve their clients.
Taking the foregoing together, what should emerge is an ethical duty to live a full life. There is a duty to attend to the needs of each domain of our being, including and in addition to one's occupation. Clients, friends, family, and especially practitioners themselves deserve it.
Thank you Mae Quinn for the opportunity and privilege of sharing this with the community at Penn State, and thank you for those in attendance for your questions and engagement!
*Nickum, M., & Desrumaux, P. (2023). Burnout among lawyers: effects of workload, latitude and mediation via engagement and over-engagement. Psychiatry, Psychology & Law, 30(3), 349–361.
