How to Manage Uncomfortable Legal Cases As a New Lawyer

There will eventually come a time when no new legal case that lands on your desk will shock, overwhelm, or daunt you. However, as a new lawyer, you’ll likely experience plenty of feelings like that.

Some cases can be uncomfortable, especially when they revolve around trauma, sexual offenses, and assault. You may not always feel comfortable representing clients potentially guilty of such crimes, or you may feel awkward when questioning potential victims.

However, part of being a lawyer involves communicating with people from all walks of life and managing even the most uncomfortable legal cases. If you need a helping hand to feel confident and calm, take note of these helpful tips:

Ask for Help

Whether you’re working on a sexual battery case, a violent crime, domestic violence, or a similar challenging crime, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Working in a law firm means you have a team of like-minded individuals to lean on when a case makes you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or uncomfortable. Ask how they would approach similar cases and whether they have any advice they could offer for managing the case and doing right by the client.

Work With a Mentor

Some legal cases can be so overwhelming and taxing that you don’t want to and can’t work on them by yourself. When you find yourself working on such a case, see if you can bring a supervisor or mentor on board to collaborate with. When you work closely with someone else, you can seek their advice, have someone else involved in decision-making, and feel less alone when case facts start to overwhelm you.

Focus On the Legal Issues

You must understand all the facts of the case you’re working on. Depending on the case type, this can be a lot for a new lawyer to manage. Some case facts can be overwhelming and even gruesome. You might feel stressed out by the prospect of trying to represent someone who might be guilty of the crime.

However, you may find it easier to deal with any uncomfortable feelings if you focus on the legal issues at hand. If you’re a defense attorney, this will likely revolve around weakening the prosecutor’s case and developing robust defense strategies.

Have a Plan for Stress and Emotions

You know you have an important job to do that requires you to have a level head. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t find some cases emotionally challenging. As a new lawyer, you must develop healthy coping mechanisms to deal with any strong feelings that arise from what you face in your case.

Create a support network you can rely on when you feel overwhelmed or stressed. You might also prioritize good sleep, a healthy diet, exercise, and beneficial hobbies. Some lawyers even reach out to mental health professionals for help so they have a trusted expert outside of their own profession to rely on.

Experienced lawyers eventually become proficient in managing uncomfortable legal cases. However, it can take time for new lawyers to gain those same skills. Create a support network, lead a healthy lifestyle, and have a plan for strong feelings. You might then find it much easier to take care of yourself when challenging cases threaten to overwhelm you.