Anastasia Volkova
As a psychologist and coach for lawyers, and as the partner of a practicing international trade lawyer myself, I have a front-row seat at how geopolitics and global trade wars are reshaping more than just multilateral trade. They’re reshaping the mental health of the lawyers caught in the crossfire.
The Crisis Behind the Crisis
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is facing an existential crisis due to a breakdown of its dispute settlement system, the rise of unilateralism, and reduced funding from some of its Members.
The rules-based multilateral trading system that lawyers spent years mastering seems to not matter as much anymore. And while a handful of international trade lawyers are thriving amid the chaos as companies scramble for guidance, many others are stuck and have even lost their job. They specialized in WTO law, and now they’re being told to pivot to ‘broader international law’ or ‘regional trade agreements’ or ‘trade compliance’.
Easy to say. Hard to do.
The Mental Trap: When Your Expertise Becomes Your Prison
I’ve coached international trade lawyers who are experiencing something I call ‘expertise paralysis.’ They spent 10 to15 years becoming WTO/trade law specialists. They know the ‘covered agreements’ and jurisprudence inside out. They’ve argued or worked in cases before the Dispute Settlement Body. They’re authentically brilliant at what they do.
And now, the ground is shifting beneath them.
The problem isn’t a lack of intelligence or an inability to learn new things. The problem is psychological. When your professional identity is tied to a specific system, and that system starts crumbling, it doesn’t just threaten your job – it threatens your sense of self.
This triggers what psychologists call ‘identity crisis.’ If you’re a WTO/trade lawyer today, you might be experiencing:
- Constant worry about whether your skills are still valuable
- Imposter syndrome when colleagues seem to pivot easily while you struggle
- Exhaustion from the pressure to learn entirely new legal frameworks while maintaining your current caseload
- A sense of helplessness as forces beyond your control reshape your career and life
- Resentment toward the system to which you dedicated your professional life
- Shame about not being able to ‘just adapt’
One lawyer I worked with described it perfectly: ‘I feel like I spent 15 years building a house, and someone just changed the building codes. Now I’m supposed to tear it down and rebuild while still living in it.’
The Fulfilment Crisis: When Success Stops Feeling Successful
Even lawyers whose firms are thriving right now are struggling mentally. Why? Because survival isn’t the same as fulfilment.
Yes, demand for trade compliance lawyers has increased. Yes, firms are busy with tariff disputes and contract restructuring. But many lawyers confide that they feel like they’re ‘just putting out fires’ rather than doing meaningful work. Giving up a WTO law career, to become a trade compliant specialist isn’t exactly a dream come true.
When you’re constantly reacting or adapting to circumstances instead of building toward a purpose, you lose your sense of direction. You might be financially successful but wake up exhausted. You might be professionally respected, but feel deeply unsatisfied.
This is what happens when external circumstances (trade wars, WTO paralysis, client panic) start driving your career instead of your own values and goals.
Why This Isn’t Just Career Stress – It’s Identity Reconstruction
The WTO lawyers who struggle most with this transition are often the most dedicated ones. They developed deep expertise, which is a core strength. But the more specialized you become, the harder it is to step back. Add the stress of trade wars, economic uncertainty, and job insecurity, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for mental exhaustion.
Here’s what people outside the legal profession fail to grasp: this isn’t like switching firms or even changing practice areas. This is identity reconstruction.
When you introduce yourself at a conference, you probably say ‘I’m a WTO specialist’ or ‘I handle trade disputes at the WTO level.’ That’s not just your job description, it’s how you understand yourself professionally. It’s how colleagues see you and what you take pride in when talking to your family about your work.
Now, imagine that identity becoming obsolete not because of any personal failing, but because the so-called “multilateral trading system” is undergoing an existential crisis.
The Psychological Trap of Victim Consciousness
This is where it’s easy to fall into thinking:
- ‘This is happening to me and there’s nothing I can do’
- ‘I’m too specialized to change now’
- ‘Younger lawyers have an unfair advantage’
- ‘I wasted years on expertise that no longer matters’
- ‘The system betrayed me after I gave it everything’
These thoughts aren’t irrational, they’re rooted in real circumstances. However, they trap you in a psychological space that leaves you feeling powerless, with no options and no path forward.
Why Identity Reconstruction Is So Intimidating
Changing jobs is daunting. But rebuilding who you are professionally is existential.
When you change jobs, you take your identity with you. ‘I’m a WTO lawyer, now at a different firm.’ Simple.
When you rebuild your identity, however, you confront far deeper questions:
- Who am I if I’m not a WTO specialist?
- What value do I offer if my core expertise is becoming obsolete?
- Can I respect myself if I’m starting over in areas where I’m not the expert?
- Will I ever feel as confident and competent as I used to?
These aren’t just career questions. They touch on your self-worth, purpose, and your sense of place in the world.
One senior lawyer told me: ‘I don’t know how to be a beginner again. I’ve been the expert in the room for 12 years. The thought of not knowing the answer, of asking basic questions, of being the one who needs help – it makes me want to just stay where I am even if it’s sinking.’
That’s the real barrier. Fear of losing yourself in the process of change.
Four Ways to Understand What You’re Facing
1. Name What You’re Actually Grieving
This isn’t just career stress. You’re grieving the loss of an identity you worked years to build.
Give yourself permission to feel that loss. You don’t have to be positive or grateful or resilient every minute.
Try this: Write a letter you’ll never send to the WTO, expressing everything you’re feeling – anger, betrayal, sadness, fear. Get it out.
Then, after you’ve honoured the grief, ask: ‘Now what? What do I want to build from here?’
2. Separate Core Identity From Situational Identity
Your ‘situational identity’ is ‘WTO specialist.’ That’s context-dependent andrelies on the WTO system.
Your ‘core identity’ runs deeper: it is composed of the values that drew you to this line of work, the skills you’ve developed over the years, the person you’ve become through your career.
Try this: Complete these sentences without mentioning the WTO or any specific legal system:
- ‘I became a lawyer because…’
- ‘What I’m truly best at is…’
- ‘The impact I want to have is…’
- ‘The work that fulfils me involves…’
These answers point to your core identity, the part that survives any work changes.
3. Understand the Shift from Victim to Creator Consciousness
Moving from so-called ‘victim consciousness’ to what psychologists call ‘creator consciousness’ doesn’t mean denying that the WTO crisis is real or that external forces are impacting you. It means shifting from ‘this is happening to me’ to ‘this is happening, and I have choices in how I respond.’
This shift is the difference between:
- ‘My career is being destroyed by circumstances beyond my control’ (victim) vs. ‘The landscape is changing and I’m choosing how to navigate it’ (creator)
Or:
- ‘I’m trapped by my over-specialization’ (victim) vs. ‘I have deep expertise that can serve as a foundation for growth’ (creator)
Notice: The creator perspective doesn’t pretend everything is fine. It acknowledges difficulty while maintaining agency.
4. Accept That Discomfort Is Part of Growth, Not Evidence of Failure
When you’re rebuilding your identity, you’ll feel uncomfortable. A lot.
Victim consciousness interprets discomfort as ‘this isn’t working’ or ‘I’m not cut out for this.’
Creator consciousness understands: ‘This feels hard because I’m growing. Discomfort is the price of evolution.’
Try this: When you feel frustrated or inadequate while learning something new, pause and say: ‘This discomfort means I’m expanding, not failing.’ Keep a ‘growth log’ where you note each time you did something outside your established expertise. Even small things count.
You Are Not Your Job Title
Identity reconstruction is genuinely one of the hardest psychological challenges humans can face.
Being told to ‘just adapt’ or ‘be flexible’ misses the point entirely. This isn’t about learning new laws. It’s about answering the question: ‘Who am I when the thing that defined me professionally no longer exists?’
That’s existential work. And it’s hard.
But here’s what I’ve seen in every lawyer who successfully navigates this: on the other side of identity reconstruction, there’s often a version of yourself that’s more resilient, more adaptable, and paradoxically more confident – because your identity is no longer dependent on any single external system.
In my next article, I’ll share four practical strategies for actively rebuilding your professional identity while the multilateral trade landscape continues to shift.
Anastasia Volkova is a mental coach and HCPC-registered psychologist specializing in supporting legal professionals. She is LawCare Activist and writes regularly for Chronicle Law on mental health issues affecting lawyers. If you’re navigating career uncertainty, identity reconstruction, or experiencing burnout, Mental Gym offers confidential support specifically designed for legal professionals. Learn more at www.mentalgym.life