Lisa Johnstone was 32 years old. She worked, reportedly many many hours, at Skadden as an associate. On a recent Sunday, while working at home on legal business for employer Skadden, Johnstone had a heart attack and died.
On Abovethelaw.com, Elie Mystal muses if there had been any correlation between the premature death and the demands imposed by BigLaw on its associates. There may not be. Perhaps Johnstone had an underlying medical condition. But if there is, lawyers across the nation are questioning if what is invested in getting a law career started may be too high a price.
This blog expresses sympathy to all those whose lives Johnstone touched.
It happens more than one would think. We had a 35-year old partner, in otherwise great health, have a stroke at our big law firm. People were horrified. This person worked non-stop, until their body just gave out.
Posted by: BTDT | July 06, 2011 at 07:02 PM
I dont think you can claim that the random death of a single law firm associate demonstrates that law firm associates are being worked to death.
There are tens of thousands of associates at large U.S. law firms. You have to expect people to die prematurely because of underlying physical conditions or even in accidents. Sure working long hours can exacerbate an existing medical condition but that is true in any career.
Posted by: American Dreamer (roving gawker exile) | July 06, 2011 at 06:48 PM