You have 0 free articles left this month.
Register for a free account to access unlimited free content.

Lawyers Weekly - legal news for Australian lawyers

Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA
lawyers weekly logo

Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA

Advertisement
Goodbye job applications, hello dream career
Seize control of your career and design the future you deserve with LW career

Post-admission depression: A reflection

We have all heard about different kinds of depression, and coming from someone who has a double whammy diagnosis of anxiety AND depression (how fortunate!), I also experienced depression of a unique kind, which I like to call “post-law grad admission depression”, writes anonymous.

user iconAnonymous 07 September 2022 Big Law
Post-admission depression: A reflection
expand image

“Post-law grad admission depression”, you say? Let’s keep it real for a moment, I felt it. I was admitted in September of last year to the Victorian court as a lawyer. A 23-year-old kid who finally got the golden pass, the ticket into the big wide world of law.

What no one told me about was the lingering sense of, “OH SH*T, I JUST GOT ADMITTED, NOW WHAT?!” that would accompany the admission.

I feel the remnants of this blackish mood now, but not at the time; in fact, at the time, I didn’t really feel anything. I was numb.

A roller-coaster of never-ending studying, community volunteering and burnt-out energy from doing life led me to a point last year, nearly exactly a year ago, where I was admitted “on the papers” as a Victorian lawyer and barely blinked, or said, “yippee”, because I was in fact exhausted, so exhausted I didn’t appreciate the hard work and dedication it took to get there.

I write this with the hope I can be reassured I am not alone.

I had my first foray into the legal world as a junior lawyer at the beginning of this year, and what a fantastic experience it was. It was one I would never forget because it was straight in, all in and diving into an area of law that I never imagined myself practising: defendant insurance law with a respected national firm.

I was ready to approach my new lawyer gig with the right mindset of hardworking and resilience, but still, the lingering depression and tiredness that accompanies being depressed tainted my work.

I was praised for my hardworking attitude and given helpful guidance on how to better my practical lawyer skills, but still, I felt numb. Was it the post-law grad depression seeping back in?

So, I asked myself, how can I make this work more meaningful? (Because in hard times, I try to find meaning). And I couldn’t answer myself because my brain was fried eggs. Scrambled!

Flash forward to now, I am on a break of sorts to recalibrate, reset and revive myself.

I now spend my days writing, drawing, op-shopping and even trying to cook.

I feel more human now. More human that I am ready to shrug off the depression of being a forever hardworking student and ready to rise as an emerging young professional — legal or not.

This piece was written by an anonymous young lawyer.

You need to be a member to post comments. Become a member for free today!