Lawyer gives unique and poignant take on why his job is one of the most 'dangerous' professions

People on trial go through extreme emotional turmoil while relying on their lawyers as their only ray of hope. Subsequently, lawyers operate in extremely stressful environments, with very little time for themselves outside of their job. Echoing this thought, a legal magnate from New York named John A. DeGasperis, who goes by @jdegasperis_esq on TikTok, has come forward with the opinion that being an attorney is among the most dangerous professions in the United States. The personal injury attorney posted a video on social media, giving insights into how the legal profession keeps him on his toes and many in the legal fraternity are talking about it.

“Being a lawyer is a dangerous job. In fact, I think it's one of the most dangerous jobs in America," DeGasperis says in his video, beginning with a “bold statement.” The attorney based out of Kingston went on to say that his claims were backed by statistically proven data. While highlighting that in the past, helplines were set up for lawyers, DeGasperis gave an example of The New York State Bar Association doing the same. They recently started a 24/7 free hotline service that aims to provide assistance to those with challenges such as depression, anxiety, burnout and alcohol or drug-related concerns.

The NYC lawyer explained further why suicide rates were high among attorneys, making it arguably one of the “most dangerous” jobs. “We have poor mental health. We abuse substances. We are overweight. We're not healthy in a physical sense. We are stressed. We don't sleep. Many lawyers struggle financially. The problems go on and on,” said DeGasperis. The attorney further shared that he was on vacation at Lake George while he shot the video.

However, the Kingston-based legal aid could not keep his mind off his work. Despite stunning weather and getting a chance to spend family time out of his busy schedule, DeGasperis was not able to disconnect. “It's just a weekend away with the kids. In the silence, my mind is racing more than ever: What about that case? I need to file this. I need to call that client. I need to get this done. Oh, I should have done that last week—I'll do it next week,” he remarked.

A majority of lawyers go through stress and like any small business owner, they need to constantly look for new work, added DeGasperis in the later part of the over two-minute-long footage. “When you represent someone who is suffering, injured, accused of something, or fighting for their rights, you adopt that burden emotionally and mentally. It can be overwhelming to be the shield for so many different people,” the attorney said. DeGasperis described himself as someone with very good mental health owing to his very supportive family, which empowers him to “shoulder the stress” and all of the responsibility that comes with representing different injured people.

Several reactions started pouring in on DeGasperis’ TikTok video. Among them, @ryry_esq, wrote, “I say this all the time: not enough attorneys talk about this part of the profession. I'm constantly carrying endless anxiety and can never fully disconnect.” Additionally, @CurtisBriggs247 said, “I’m a criminal defense lawyer, and I love my job—it’s my dream. I went to rehab in 2016, and things have been much better since then, but I have to practice a lot of self-care.”

You can follow John A. DeGasperis (@jdegasperis_esq) on TikTok for legal content.