The law is a helping profession. Outsiders might scoff, but all of us in the profession know this to be so.
Ask a thousand lawyers what they value about their work, and most will draw a connection to helping. One bankruptcy lawyer told me that what motivates him is helping people to make a fresh start. Business lawyers have spoken with passion about helping their entrepreneurial
clients. Personal injury lawyers have told me how much they care about helping injured persons recover and rebuild their lives.
What is meaningful to lawyers about their work is, in a word, service. What is burning them out is servitude.
We all have distinct ways we like to serve. What is remarkable about human nature is the variation between us. I love listening to clients talk about their challenges all day long. Others might find this torturous.
When service becomes servitude
Now, let’s talk about what happens when the drive to service is pushed to the max or exploited – when service becomes servitude. For example, Terry has a business law transactions practice. In the early days, he made a point of being highly responsive. Now his clients have come to expect it. He is fielding emails and calls all day, night, and on the weekends. While this approach worked fine for him when he was single, now that he is married with two children he adores, he feels like he is getting close to burnout.
Servitude happens when the instinct to serve is pushed to the extreme. Servitude can arise when you take on a task that is out of alignment with how you enjoy serving. This can take many forms. It can be serving demanding and unappreciative clients. It can be the peril of too much and overload.
Your body can serve as a compass to warn you when you have crossed the line from service to servitude. Service vs Servitude™ is a distinction that was brought to my attention by former lawyer, now counsellor Erin Peters. Service is motivating, energizing, and meaningful. Servitude is draining and depleting.
Part of the wellness crisis in the legal profession is rooted in the corruption of the value of service into servitude. I am currently working on a book that explores in depth a path back for the legal profession from servitude to service. The opportunity is there for all of us in the profession to work towards balancing the scales back to service. It starts with you.
Head over to slaw.ca to read the full article and for tips on how to set an intention at the start of each day to notice when you experience the lift of service. When you have tried this, please share with me what you discover as you identify the roots of service and servitude in your own practice. I would love to hear about your experiences!
