Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession: a practical guide to trauma, burnout and collective care

by Joanna Fleck, Rachel Francis

Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession is a practical guide to trauma, burnout and collective care. Using case studies from lawyers in their own words, it provides the individual with tools for self-reflection and provides organisations with an understanding of trauma-informed working practices and guidance towards implementing collective care, training and support in the workplace.

Lawyers working in legal aid, social justice or with survivors of injury regularly work with traumatic and emotionally potent caseloads and often draw on skills for which they have had no formal training. They bear witness to the pain of clients, to the suffering that humans inflict upon each other, and to the incredible strength of survivors of violence, torture and abuse. They do this while dealing with the financial pressure of poor rates of pay, constantly overstretched resources and a relentlessly hostile political environment.

While there has been a growing conversation within the legal profession about the mental health of lawyers, much of it looks at mental health as a primarily personal the individual’s work/life balance and stress as a personal response. Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession draws focus to the impact of traumatic casework for lawyers and how collectively change can be made.

Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession is essential reading for lawyers across many areas of law, from criminal defence to family law, immigration, and any area involving vulnerable law centres, advice clinics and the voluntary sector. It should also be required reading for organisational leaders, HR managers, practice managers, representational and membership associations and those in charge of regulation of the professions.

182 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2021

Reviews

[Lindsay Paterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after completing the Law Society of Scotland’s trauma informed law certification course which touches on the issue of vicarious trauma but focuses more on understating the trauma of our clients.
This book is an excellent, in depth, exploration of the effect of vicarious trauma in lawyers doing social welfare work- something which until recently wasn’t acknowledged. It felt emotional but validating to recognise so much of what have experienced in the last 18 years of practice and to understand that there is research to confirm that -of course!- the trauma we deal with every day impacts us. The later chapters on self action, collective action and organisational action were particularly useful and, as a manager, I will using a lot of what I’ve learned reading this book to try to assist my colleagues in dealing with vicarious trauma. 4 stars rather than 5 only because the earlier chapters felt a little repetitive at times with the same quotes/ information being mentioned in different chapters but overall an excellent and important book.

[Mr Alister Cryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting start to the conversation

As a male legal aid solicitor of around 20 years call I feel somewhat shut out of the conversation this book starts. This is a shame as the authors should not assume only women and newly qualified lawyers are affected by trauma.

[Helen Easterbrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book but it repeats the same message a lot and has little practical advice for anyone self employed. Worth a read but don't expect much.