Imagine a barrister preparing for a high-stakes trial. Every detail, witness statement, last-minute filing, cross-examination strategy – these all compete for mental space. Even outside of court, unfinished casework replays like a loop. This relentless mental recall isn’t just stress; it’s cognitive hardwiring.

The legal profession thrives on unfinished business. Drafts in progress, cases awaiting rulings, briefs half-written; all refuse to be forgotten, lingering at the back of a lawyer’s mind. If you’ve ever struggled to mentally switch off, it’s not just because of the workload; it’s because of how your brain processes incomplete tasks.

The tricky little brain: Understanding the Zeigarnik Effect

The Zeigarnik effect, coined by Soviet psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik in the 1920s, describes the brain’s tendency to fixate on uncompleted tasks while readily dismissing completed ones. In her research, Zeigarnik observed that waiters in a busy café could effortlessly recall unpaid orders but struggled to remember those that had already been settled. Once a task is finished, the brain clears it from its mental queue. However, unfinished work lingers like an insistent notification you can’t dismiss.

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For lawyers, this effect is amplified. Court deadlines, pending decisions, and unfiled paperwork dominate mental bandwidth, making it nearly impossible to focus on anything else until they’re resolved. The longer a case remains open-ended, the more intrusive it becomes, not just as a professional responsibility but as an unresolved cognitive loop.

The WIP pile: Why lawyers are especially prone

In professions like law, where unfinished business is the rule rather than the exception, the Zeigarnik effect becomes more pronounced. Multiple active cases, long litigation timelines, and client unpredictability make mental detachment difficult.

Key factors that exacerbate the effect for lawyers:

• Multiple active matters: Juggling numerous cases at various stages ensures that there’s always something pending, keeping the mind in a constant state of recall.
• Long litigation timelines: The uncertainty over trial outcomes, client negotiations, and judicial rulings prolongs the mental load, leaving little room for a sense of closure.
• Client demands and unpredictability: The legal world is full of surprises, and unexpected developments mean lawyers rarely feel “done” with a case.
• Ethical and professional responsibility: The weight of decision making adds an additional layer of mental strain; when outcomes impact clients’ lives, unfinished business isn’t just a to-do list item; it’s a duty.

With so many cognitive tabs open at once, lawyers often experience a mental backlog, struggling to compartmentalise work from personal time.

The cost of cognitive clutter

Unfinished tasks don’t just take up space in your calendar; they take up space in your head. The Zeigarnik effect ensures that unresolved matters dominate attention, often at a cost to wellbeing.

Common consequences include:

• Increased mental fatigue: The brain is constantly running “open tabs”, which reduces cognitive energy and leaves you drained.
• Sleep disturbances: Uncompleted work lingers in your subconscious, making it harder to mentally “log off” at night.
• Reduced efficiency: With so many tasks on the go, prioritising becomes more difficult, leading to further stress and decision fatigue.

For lawyers, the cognitive burden of unresolved cases can lead to chronic stress and professional burnout. So, how can legal professionals work with their brains instead of against them?

Managing the unfinished: Practical strategies for lawyers

The goal isn’t to override the Zeigarnik effect – it’s to use it strategically. Lawyers can reduce the mental strain of unfinished business while still leveraging their brain’s natural strengths.

Five (suggested) ways to manage the mental load:

1. Make a clear plan: Break down complex tasks into specific, manageable steps. Progress – even incremental – eases cognitive pressure.
2. Write it down: Externalise incomplete tasks via to-do lists, case outlines, or notes signals to the brain that the task has been acknowledged, reducing mental fixation.
3. Close the mental loops: If an immediate resolution isn’t possible, set a deadline or schedule time to revisit the task. This structure helps reduce cognitive overload.
4. Use cognitive offloading: Legal tech tools, apps, and automated reminders can help track deadlines, reducing the need for constant mental recall.
5. Create completion rituals: Simple habits, like reviewing case notes before leaving the office, help demarcate work and rest, providing psychological closure.

By implementing these strategies, lawyers can prevent the Zeigarnik effect from turning unfinished tasks into ongoing stressors.

Learning to work with your brain

The Zeigarnik effect isn’t a flaw; it’s a feature. It’s a built-in cognitive mechanism that ensures important tasks don’t slip through the cracks. For lawyers, this effect can be a double-edged sword: it sharpens attention to detail but also creates a mental weight that never fully lifts.

Instead of resisting it, legal professionals can implement systems that work with the brain’s natural tendencies. By breaking down tasks, externalising mental loads, and setting clear stopping points, lawyers can reduce the cognitive clutter that keeps unfinished cases replaying long after the workday ends.

So, the next time you find yourself unable to switch off because of an incomplete brief, don’t just blame your brain; thank it. The same mechanism that makes unfinished work feel overwhelming is also what makes great lawyers’ detail-oriented, committed, and persistent. The key is ensuring that it serves you, not drains you.

Rebecca Ward is an MBA-qualified management consultant with a focus on mental health. She is the managing director of Barrister’s Health, which supports the legal profession through management consulting and psychotherapy. Barristers’ Health was founded in memory of her brother, Steven Ward, LLB.