Defending the Guilty and Innocent: Daily Stress and Life Changes of Defense Attorneys

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

Levin and Greisberg (2003) explored the trauma that attorneys experience due to the types of cases they take on each day. According to their study, the stress attorneys feel can lead to trauma and burnout. It is important to recognize that burnout does not happen overnight, it is something that occurs gradually over time due to the accumulation of stress, face-to-face long-term communication, and intensive personal relationships with their clients (Levin and Greisberg 2003). The daily stresses of being a defense attorney may lead to burnout and, possibly, inadequate representation of defendants at trial. Few, if any, qualitative research studies exist on defense attorney stress. This qualitative research study will investigate the research question, what aspects of defense attorney work shapes stress and burnout? Many themes emerged during the ten semi-structured interviews, including case overloads, protecting the innocent, and drug crimes. This study will be able to shed some light on the daily life struggles of defense attorneys and fill a gap in the research.

Author

• Hayley Thewes, Westminster College