How do firms build cultures that sustain high performance without burning people out?

January 26, 2026

AUTHOR Inside Practice

First Look at Legal Wellbeing: New York 2026 - From Stigma to Strategic Advantage

The conversation about wellbeing in law has moved from “nice-to-have” initiatives to a strategic question: How do firms build cultures that sustain high performance without burning people out?


The Numbers speak for themselves:

Metric United States (ALM/ABA 2025) United Kingdom (LawCare/Bar Council 2025)
Depression / Low Mood 33% reported depression 60% reported "poor mental wellbeing"
Anxiety 68.7% reported anxiety 50% experienced anxiety "often/very often"
Workload Pressure 65.5% cite billable hours as a stressor 78.8% work beyond contracted hours
Crisis Perception 43% view the industry as in "crisis" High risk of burnout (avg score 37.8)

These data points don’t just describe a wellbeing issue, they highlight the operational risks: quality, client experience, retention, and leadership credibility. 

Legal Wellbeing: New York 2026 brings together law firm leaders, wellbeing and mental health experts, people-strategy teams, and legal operations professionals - at a time when every-day, real-world events are accelerating the deterioration of the professions health -  for a full-day program focused on leadership, culture, measurement, and resilience. Expect practical frameworks, honest discussion, and a peer community working through the same pressures, workforce expectations, accelerated digitization, and an always-on pace.


Here are just a few highlights you won’t want to miss:


1. Evolving Professional Identity in the Legal Profession

Legal career paths are being reshaped by changing client demands, shifting talent expectations, and the rise of AI. In this keynote Libby Clarke (NYSBA Attorney Wellbeing Task Force) and Kerry Murray O’Hara (DBT Wellness & Psychological Services) tackle the very human impact of that change: uncertainty, anxiety, and identity disruption. Leaders will explore how to help lawyers recognize transferable strengths, reframe “career pivots” as opportunity, and support professional growth as a core component of wellbeing.


2. AI’s Impact on Legal Wellbeing

AI can reduce friction but it can also amplify stress when it lands without clarity, support, or a plan. Natalie Runyon (Thomson Reuters) and Christina Farinacci‑Roberts (Head Heart Hands Consulting) look at where AI is genuinely helping legal teams (and where it creates new pressure), including the fear of change, skills anxiety, and what happens when traditional models feel threatened. The focus: using technology in a way that supports sustainable performance instead of accelerating burnout.


3. The Psychology of Burnout: What Four Decades of Data Reveal About Lawyer Wellbeing

Burnout isn’t just about workload - it’s often rooted in the way high-performing professionals are wired. Renee Branson (RB Consulting) is joined by Dr. Larry Richard to share insights drawn from decades of research into lawyer personality traits and stress risk factors, plus practical tools and habits that support resilience over the long term.


4. Talent, Retention, and Wellness: The New Formula for Legal Success

Deborah Ndao (Skadden) and Ian Shea (I M Human) examine why wellbeing is increasingly a retention strategy, and a competitive differentiator in hiring. Together they will connect the dots between wellness, talent outcomes, and performance, sharing approaches firms are using to support lawyers’ personal and professional goals while creating healthier, more sustainable working environments.


5. Practical tools to close the day

Legal Wellbeing: New York also includes guided, skills-based moments, such as progressive muscle relaxation and a closing meditation session, plus sessions on habit-building and reframing wellbeing as a driver of performance (not just “damage control”).

Why Attend?

Legal Wellbeing: New York is built around three strategic themes:


  1. leadership and culture reinvention
  2. data and metrics that move wellbeing from ad hoc programs to measurable strategy,
  3. resilience at scale—designing ways of working that support performance by default.


If you’re a firm leader, people/HR leader, legal ops professional, in-house counsel, or anyone tasked with shaping the future of legal work, you’ll leave with fresh ideas, peer-tested insights, and a stronger network of practitioners committed to the human side of legal excellence.


Key Details (at a glance)

  • Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
  • Time: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM ET (with breakfast, interactive sessions, and an end-of-day networking reception)
  • Location: SUNY Global Center, NYC
  • Early Bird: Confirm by Feb 20, 2026 and save $300 with code WELLBEING26


See the full agenda and confirm your place on InsidePractice.com

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