ABA Patrick Krill Study: First Large-Scale National Follow-Up Since 2016 — Results Expected

The ABA and researcher Patrick Krill are conducting the first large-scale national follow-up to the 2016 lawyer mental health study — a randomised survey of attorneys through state bars — with findings expected in the first half of 2026. The 2016 study found 28% of attorneys reporting depression, 21% problem drinking, and 11.4% suicidal ideation. The 2025 ALM proxy survey shows depression at 33%, drug and alcohol rates declining, and the share describing the profession's mental health situation as a crisis falling six points to 43%. For law firm leaders and wellbeing officers, the ABA/Krill study will produce the first statistically rigorous national comparison point in a decade and is likely to inform bar policy recommendations, CLE mandates, and employer wellbeing guidance for the next several years. Firms that have implemented structural wellbeing programs — measured by reduced voluntary attrition, improved associate satisfaction scores, and documented uptake of wellbeing resources — will be positioned to demonstrate that their interventions track positively against the national baseline when that data is released.