New Lawyers Are Depressed And Buried In Debt

A study from the Wisconsin State Bar found that new law school grads are dealing with underemployment – that is, if they can find a job – and mountains of debt, leading many of the 200 respondents to the survey to say they are depressed and scared. “I can’t afford a pet, let alone kids,” one new attorney said in the free-answer portion of the survey. Another said, “My debt is higher than a mortgage for a nice house. It’s all I think about,” and another  was left “suicidal” just from the job search. Lawyers in this frame of mind “are fast becoming your average member of the State Bar,” task force member Lee Turonie said.