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Anonymous because this feels like a sensitive topic I would not necessarily want to talk to future employers about.

I am at a summer job in public interest, and my clients are invariably abused, mistreated, have PTSD from wartime, are disabled, or fear for their lives. Despite my usual ability to detach, this work is really getting under my skin and I'm empathizing to the point that I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack.
Two questions for you all: 1) If you are working in/have worked in this kind of environment, how did you deal with it? Did you burn out? How do you deal with the burnout? 2) I'm planning on going into biglaw; is this as much of an issue in that workplace setting?

No worries, BigLaw will breed the emotions out of you.

I had that same experience last summer. I worked with victims of domestic violence and it was very emotionally draining. This summer I am at a law firm and I think as long as you are not doing employment law, nothing you do will be as emotionally charged at a law firm as the work you are doing now.

To get through my job last summer I just kept telling myself I am getting a great experience, and I am learning that this type of job is not for me. After doing public interest work a lot of law firms want you to tell them why you no longer want to to public interest work and I talked about how emotionally draining it was for me in interviews and stuff, and I think that is a good reason.

Anonymous User wrote:I had that same experience last summer. I worked with victims of domestic violence and it was very emotionally draining. This summer I am at a law firm and I think as long as you are not doing employment law, nothing you do will be as emotionally charged at a law firm as the work you are doing now.

To get through my job last summer I just kept telling myself I am getting a great experience, and I am learning that this type of job is not for me. After doing public interest work a lot of law firms want you to tell them why you no longer want to to public interest work and I talked about how emotionally draining it was for me in interviews and stuff, and I think that is a good reason.

OP here. Thank you, this sounds like a great way to deal with it.

Ask yourself what you can do for your clients and what you should do for your clients. Then only focus on what you can do for your client. Also, alcohol and experience will file away your emotion.