Some of the best burnout measures don't cost a thing, according to Jennifer Bluestein, the chief talent officer for Perkins Coie. Bluestein said the biggest driver of burnout in 2022 is the inability for attorneys to fully unplug and recharge. Sometimes, preventing burnout could be as simple as more transparent out of office messages for internal contacts or giving a heads up in an email signature three weeks ahead of scheduled time off. Bluestein said "It's not about getting some new in-house therapist in. It's about allowing people time and space to actually turn off work and focus on other things in their lives."

In other ways, addressing burnout requires a more layered approach. With more than two years of grinding through a pandemic and oversized billable hours, Bluestein said law firms need to continue to invest in bench strength and equitable division of work assignments. Hybrid remote work models could add another level of complication, according to Bluestein, because it might be harder for law firm leaders to gauge burnout when employees aren't in front of them everyday.