Bullying in the legal profession
Bullying in the legal profession is believed to be more common than in some other professions. It is believed that its adversarial, hierarchical tradition contributes towards this.[1] Women, trainees and solicitors who have been qualified for five years or less are more impacted, as are ethnic minority lawyers and gay, lesbian, and bisexual lawyers.[2]
Half of women lawyers and one in three men who took part in a study by the Law Council of Australia (LCA) reported they had been bullied or intimidated in the workplace.[3] The Law Council of Australia has found that women face significant levels of discrimination, with one of the study's key figures telling Lawyers Weekly the profession is a "men's only club".[4]
According to former High Court judge Michael Kirby, the rudeness of judges trickles down to senior lawyers who then vent their frustrations on more junior staff, thus creating a cycle of bullying and stress that is rife within the legal profession.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "Le Mire, Suzanne; Owens, Rosemary A propitious moment?: Workplace bullying and regulation of the legal profession University of New South Wales Law Journal, The Volume 37 Issue 3 (Dec 2014)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-01. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
- ^ Society publishes guidance on tackling bullying in solicitor profession The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland 27 June 2011
- ^ Leanne Mezrani 4 February 2014 Bullying rates 'alarming' Lawyers Weekly
- ^ Leanne Mezrani 14 March 2014 Law is failing and hurting women Lawyers Weekly
- ^ Bullying judges breed stressful system: Kirby
Further reading
- Omari, M. & Paull, M. (2014). “Shut up and bill”: Workplace bullying challenges for the legal profession. International Journal of the Legal Profession. Volume 20, Issue 2, 2013 p1-20.
External links
- Stephanie A. Scharf & Roberta D. Liebenberg, Bullying in the Legal Profession: A Study of Illinois Lawyers’ Experiences and Recommendations for Change, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism (2024).
- Bullying in the UK legal profession Case history #50
- Bullying in the UK legal profession Case history #52
- James Barnes 16 October 2012 The Global Legal Post Bullying rife in English legal profession
- Sophie Schroder 8 Oct 2014 Australasian Lawyer Lawyers some of Australia’s worst bullies?
- The Connecticut Law Tribune August 27, 2014 Editorial: Confronting Bullying Within the Legal Profession
- Knocking Out Bullying in the Legal Profession
- Civility Matters: Rudeness and Bullying in the Legal Profession
- 8 January 2014 Legal Futures Bullying at work on the rise, says lawyer support charity
- David Yamada December 10, 2013 Bullying lawyer suspended from practice for two years
- Harriet Alexander March 23, 2013 DPP warns lawyers: stop bullying one another or else
- Bullying at Work Legal Organizations, Coping Strategies, and Health Problems
- Lawyer says firm's harassment made her ill March 3, 2010 Ben Schneiders
