Bullying in the legal profession is believed to be more common than in some other professions. It is believed that its adversarial, hierarchical tradition contributes towards this.[1] Women, trainees and solicitors who have been qualified for five years or less are more impacted, as are ethnic minority lawyers and gay, lesbian, and bisexual lawyers.[2]
Half of women lawyers and one in three men who took part in a study by theLaw Council of Australia (LCA) reported they had beenbullied orintimidated in theworkplace.[3] The Law Council of Australia has found that women face significant levels ofdiscrimination, with one of the study's key figures telling Lawyers Weekly the profession is a "men's only club".[4]
According to former High Court judge Michael Kirby, the rudeness of judges trickles down to senior lawyers who then vent their frustrations on more junior staff, thus creating a cycle of bullying andstress that is rife within thelegal profession.[5]
