024 When the System Feels Broken (Part 1): Moral Injury in Law

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The Lawyer Burnout Solution

Heather Mills

27 episodes

4 days ago

You might think burnout is just part of the deal in law, but it’s really about what we’ve been socialized to believe we “should” be doing to prove ourselves, especially as women. The good news is that you can change those thought patterns and create a career that doesn’t burn you out. Hosted by Heather Mills, a coach and former class action attorney, this show offers practical tools to help you escape burnout culture without sacrificing your career or income. You’ll learn how to restore your energy, build a sustainable legal career, and stay in control of your success. Press play and take the first step toward feeling good in your career again. Heather understands the unique pressures for women in law – the urge to prove yourself, the drive to overwork and be perfect, the expectation to put in endless hours, and all the ways we’re taught to measure our worth by how much we achieve and do for others. That's why she's on a mission to end burnout culture for women in law. This show is all about giving you the concrete tools, strategies, and mindset shifts you need to reclaim your energy, confidence, and career. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by long hours, wondering how long you can go on like this, or questioning if success has to come at such a high personal cost, this podcast provides the support you need. Tune in every week to break free from burnout and discover how to create a legal career that actually feels good to live in, not just impressive on paper.

All content for The Lawyer Burnout Solution is the property of Heather Mills and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

024 When the System Feels Broken (Part 1): Moral Injury in Law

The Lawyer Burnout Solution

17 minutes

2 weeks ago

024 When the System Feels Broken (Part 1): Moral Injury in Law

When the system you serve violates your values, it’s not burnout. It’s moral injury. Learn what that means and how to start healing it.

You can follow every rule and still feel like the system you serve isn’t serving you (or your clients) back. You’re not burned out. You’re heartbroken. This episode names the quiet, collective grief so many lawyers are carrying when the work they believed in no longer aligns with the system they serve.

In Part 1 of our two-part series “When the System Feels Broken,” we explore moral injury: the internal conflict that happens when your professional duties collide with your deepest values. You’ll hear real stories from immigration, government, and corporate lawyers navigating impossible systems that test their integrity every day.

You’ll learn:

What moral injury really is and how it’s different from burnout or compassion fatigue
How your nervous system reacts when your sense of rightness is violated
Why good lawyers start to feel numb, cynical, or detached, and why that’s self-protection, not weakness
The early signs that your values are out of alignment with your work
Simple practices to begin moral repair and reconnect with your integrity

We’ll also talk about why many women lawyers feel this rupture more acutely. They came to law to serve, advocate, and uphold fairness, then found themselves asked to compromise the very principles that drew them in.

By the end of the episode, you’ll understand:

Why naming moral injury is the first step toward healing it
How small acts of honesty and self-acknowledgment begin the repair process
How caring, even when it hurts, proves your moral compass still works

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I can’t keep doing this, but I don’t know how to stop,” this episode will help you put words to that pain and remind you that nothing’s wrong with you. You’re having a human response to an impossible system.

Want more support?

Ready to move from heartbreak to healing? Book a free Stress Reset Call with me at heathermillscoaching.com/call. Together we’ll look at what’s weighing on you and explore the first small step toward moral repair and self-trust.
Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn: Get weekly tips, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes support for your burnout recovery.

Full Show Notes, References, Episode Transcript, Plus More Resources for Women in Law:

024 When the System Feels Broken (Part 1): Moral Injury in Law
https://www.heathermillscoaching.com/blog/024-moral-injury-lawyers

025 When the System Feels Broken (Part 2): From Powerlessness to Possibility for Lawyers
(upcoming)