Well-being occurs from the top leadership through the rest of the legal organization. A committed law firm equity owner or committee including equity owner(s) should be responsible for developing an attorney well-being program with appropriate buy-in from attorneys throughout the firm. Likewise, leaders in other legal organizations must be involved. Goals should be developed along with assessment tools.

Professional development is an investment that pays off for legal employers on many levels: it enhances competence and effectiveness of lawyers, instills a sense of dedication and belonging, and this demonstrated support can improve overall morale and well-being.

Flexible work arrangements respect lawyers’ desire for autonomy and some measure of control over professional and personal lives. There are multiple ways that legal employers can convey that work-life integration is expected, not just accepted.

Organizations should promote diversity, inclusion, equity, and multiculturalism, not just as good business practices, but because they contribute significantly to lawyer and staff well-being. Organizations should recognize that increasing cultural competence, addressing institutional and systemic barriers to success for diverse lawyers, and providing welcoming and inclusive work environments and organizational climates will lead to increased attorney wellness and retention.

Consideration should be given to alternative ways to compensate lawyers and staff for performance rather than focusing on the billable hour exclusively. Moving away from this single metric can decrease stress on employees, promote greater productivity, and bolster recruitment and retention of lawyers who have families, plan to start families, are required to care for family members or may be close to retirement.

True growth in well-being initiatives comes over time and must be assessed against organizational goals and objectives. A healthy well-being initiative will be measured in the short-term, medium-term, and long term and appropriate changes should be made to the initiative at each interval to promote sustainability and innovation.