Former IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto, senior partner at Motta Fernandes Advogados, São Paulo, Brazil, who was responsible for establishing the mental wellbeing taskforce, commented: ‘The conclusions and principles contained in this report represent an important step in addressing the global crisis in lawyer mental wellbeing. Being able to bring people together from across the world to share their experiences, knowledge and expertise has been crucial in amassing the data for this report. I am impressed by the cooperation of international colleagues to be frank in their responses so that our profession may face and remedy this crisis. I congratulate the Taskforce for its efforts and look forward to further IBA initiatives in geared towards improving the mental wellbeing of us all’.

The principles set out in the report to address the mental wellbeing crisis include:

Adopt a policy – Law firms should adopt a mental wellbeing policy and undertake regular assessment of their employees’ mental wellbeing. The policy must: be a collaborative effort involving colleagues from across the organisation, of differing levels of seniority; include detail of systems for mental health disclosures; state what staff should expect from the organisation regarding mental wellbeing; and have appropriate funding, monitoring and evaluation processes in place.

Address systemic problems – For mental wellbeing in the legal profession to improve, the underlying and fundamental causes must be addressed. The report identified a number of working practices that are problematic for mental health, including: poor or non-existent managerial training; bullying, harassment, sexism and racism; and a culture of unsustainable working hours and high billing targets, particularly for junior members of the profession.

Prioritise mental wellbeing – Legal organisations should acknowledge the impact poor mental health has on the profession, as lawyers who are struggling may not be able to serve clients to the best of their ability; and recognise that employers, regulators and professional bodies have a duty to protect and promote the health of their employees and members. Fostering a working culture where mental health is prioritised, and good practise is modelled by leadership, is a key part of this. In addition, any negative perceptions of mental health difficulties should be challenged to ensure that individuals feel able to have an open and honest dialogue, without fear of repercussions for their career.

Recognise intersectionalities – The difficulties experienced by specific groups, including younger, female, ethnic minority, and legal professionals with disabilities, must be better understood and acknowledged by the legal community. Law firms must make a sustained and meaningful effort to foster equality, diversity and inclusion within the workplace.

ENDS