In-house lawyers are feeling anxious and overwhelmed, according to a survey Law.com and ALM Intelligence conducted with about two-dozen legal department attorneys.

In-house attorneys contacted by Law.com say the findings match up with what they're seeing in legal departments, which once were viewed as a refuge from the pressure-cooker law firm life but increasingly are leaving workers feeling deflated.

While Law.com and ALM Intelligence surveyed too few in-house attorneys to determine whether the findings constitute a statistically representative sample, the bleakness of the responses was striking, with 85% saying the legal profession has had a negative effect on their mental health over time.