Fighting the Zombie-Lawyer Apocalypse
An interview with Prof. Peter Huang
Recent studies have suggested that lawyers are particularly prone to depression, anxiety, and stress, but are lawyers becoming zombies? According to Professor Peter Huang (who co-authored an article of similar title), the plight of the profession presents interesting parallels to the concept of “zombification,” with lawyers and law students mindlessly reacting to stress. Prof. Huang discusses these parallels, the role of stress reduction strategies such as mindfulness, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted attorney mental health. Peter also presents some ways in which the legal profession and law schools can begin to improve attorney well being… perhaps avoiding the zombie apocalypse entirely.
Additional Resources
Interviews Discussed
- A Mindful Practice an interview with Prof Nathalie Martin
Articles Discussed
- Lawyer Zombie Apocalypse by Peter Huang and Corie Rosen Felder
- Can Saints Negotiate? A Brief Introduction to the Problems of Perfect Ethics in Bargaining by Scott Peppet
- Lawyers as Agents of the Devil in a Prisoner’s Dilemma Game by Orley Ashenfelter and David Bloom
- Lawyering from the Inside Out: Learning Professional Development through Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence by Nathalie Martin
- The Prevalence and Effects of Loneliness in the General Population, Lawyer Well-being, and a Survey of Law Students by Olivia Ash
- Pandemic Emotions: The Good, The Bad, and The Unconscious —Implications for Public Health, Financial Economics, Law, and Leadership by Peter Huang
- Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity by Dr. Ronald Epstein
About Prof. Peter Huang
“A lot of lawyers feel zombified. They're leading lives where they're mindlessly going through the motions.”
Peter H. Huang is the Professor and DeMuth Chair of Business Law, at the University of Colorado, where he has taught since 2011. Prior to University of Colorado, Peter taught law at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Minnesota, and Temple University. Professor Huang specializes in business law; law and emotions; law and neuroscience; law and psychology; litigation; and regulation. His academic work focuses on behavioral economics, finance, and happiness. His recent writing includes topics of diversity in the profession related to the AAPI community and explorations into legal culture and the mental and emotional health of attorneys.
