In recent years, we’ve been working to help build a holistic picture of the barriers and drivers for lawyer wellbeing in Australia, to enable a sector-led response. 

The Theory of Change Project is guided by the principle that to make real and lasting change in lawyer wellbeing, the focus for action needs to move beyond individual resilience, to the system-wide drivers that are having negative impacts.  

We are partnering with the Victorian legal sector to co-design a system level Theory of Change for lawyer wellbeing. Through this project, we will gain a better understanding of what drives poor lawyer wellbeing, the roots of these drivers, the connections between them, and the scale of their impact. With this evidence base, a shared map will be established to highlight where, how and why change needs to happen within the system to improve lawyer wellbeing. 

Why co-design?

Co-designing the Theory of Change in partnership with the legal sector means that the outcome is meaningful, actionable and reflects the experiences, insights and expertise from those involved in the legal system. 

Who has taken part?

We’ve engaged across Victoria’s legal system, including with:

• lawyers
• representatives from professional associations
• representatives from organisations that support access to legal services         
• legal educators and law students
• lawyer wellbeing specialists and researchers
• the judiciary
• legal regulators under the Uniform Law.

Who is leading the process?

We’ve appointed Melbourne-based experts in social research and evaluation, First Person Consulting (FPC) to lead engagement and guide the process. The FPC team has set up a flexible co-design process to capture participants’ thoughts and insights. 

What does the co-design process look like?

The Theory of Change is being co-designed in three stages throughout 2024 and early 2025. Participation can occur at as many stages as an individual chooses – at any point in the process.   

Stage 1: System Effects Survey

To create an evidence-based Theory of Change, we wanted to first better understand the drivers of poor lawyer wellbeing, and how they relate to one another at a system level. The System Effects Survey offered an innovative and distinct approach to data gathering and analysis that mapped the causes of poor lawyer wellbeing, and the connections between them. These insights drew on the experiences of more than 1000 members of the Victorian legal sector. 

This research shows us the places where it is best to intervene in the system for the biggest impact. The evidence can be used by everyone across the sector to show where we should concentrate effort, because it helps us understand how and why acting on one factor will improve other factors as well.

You can read the System Effects Survey report by First Person Consulting here.

Stage 2: Online peer workshops

Equipped with the data from the System Effects Survey, members of the Victorian legal sector who had signed up via an expression of interest (EOI) process were invited to a workshop to identify areas for change and highlight current efforts in the sector. This has helped to form the building blocks of an impactful Theory of Change. Workshops were delivered by FPC and involved peers only, for example, law students were grouped with other law students. 

Stage 3: Theory of Change review

Following the System Effects Survey and legal sector workshops, FPC has compiled a draft Theory of Change and has sought initial review and feedback from individuals signed up via the EOI process. We are now inviting the legal sector to review the final draft and provide feedback via the Sector Survey. The survey contains four open questions asking you for your thoughts on the draft and your suggestions for implementation support and priority areas.

You can review the draft Theory of Change and provide your feedback via the Sector Survey here.

Download and read the draft Theory of Change below.

Next steps

Stage 2 of the co-design process has taken place, with the detailed and nuanced insights forming the draft Theory of Change. 

Stage 3 is now underway. The final draft of the Systems Theory of Change is available for review and feedback via the Sector Survey.  

The survey will be open until the end of February 2025. 

The final Theory of Change will be published in early 2025, once feedback has been integrated. We will encourage engagement and use by the sector, and we will also use it inform our VLSB+C Lawyer Wellbeing Program and to help identify and fund pilot programs during 2025. More details will be shared when the final Systems Theory of Change is published.