Is stress pushing in-house lawyers toward the exit? The new ACC study

Is work-related stress becoming a decisive factor behind rising attrition risks in corporate legal departments? A new study by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) suggests the link may be strong as mounting pressure threatens retention in companies, driving in-house lawyers to consider leaving.

According to The State of Stress Among In-house Legal Professionals, based on data from the 2025 Law Department Compensation Survey, one in five in-house legal professionals rates their workplace stress as “high” or “severe.” The survey includes responses from more than 1,600 U.S.-based in-house lawyers and legal operations professionals.

Overall, 66 percent of respondents reported moderate to severe stress, pointing to widespread pressure across corporate legal functions. The findings indicate that stress levels rise sharply with seniority, particularly among legal leaders who carry responsibility for risk management, strategic decision-making, and alignment with business objectives.

Senior roles such as Chief Legal Officer and Associate General Counsel reported the highest stress levels, with more than one-quarter classifying their stress as “high.” Legal operations leaders also showed elevated stress levels (22 percent), reflecting the increasing complexity of operational, technological, and strategic demands placed on these functions. By contrast, attorneys and professionals without management responsibilities reported significantly lower rates of high stress (12 percent).

The study also highlights a potential connection between stress and retention. Among professionals reporting high stress levels, 24 percent say they plan to leave their jobs within the next year. While the data does not establish direct causation, it suggests that sustained stress may be an important contributing factor to turnover risk within in-house legal teams.

Working hours appear to play a critical role. Respondents working more than 55 hours per week were five times more likely to report high stress than those working fewer than 45 hours, underlining the impact of workload intensity on wellbeing and work-life balance.

“These findings underscore the growing intensity of the in-house legal function,” said Jason L. Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer of ACC. “When stress levels become unsustainable, the effects extend beyond the legal department, affecting decision-making quality, increasing operational and compliance risks, and making it harder for organizations to retain critical legal talent.”

For corporate legal departments, the report raises a broader question: whether current operating models, workloads, and resourcing strategies are sustainable in the long term, or whether rising stress levels will increasingly translate into higher attrition across the in-house legal profession.