The Above the Law website reports: “Once law students graduate, these problems do not improve, but seem to only get worse. According to a study conducted by the American Bar Association and the Hazelden Betty Ford Clinic found, one in three lawyers say they have a drinking problem, and 28 percent of them suffer from depression. Among those who reported problem drinking, 27 percent say their problems started in law school. Read the News
The Struggle: Law Students Suffer From High Rates of Depression and Binge Drinking
Out of the Darkness: Overcoming Depression Among Lawyers
The ABA’s GPSOLO magazine reports, “Lawyers seem to have a particular reluctance to seek help for depression and mental health issues because they are concerned about appearing weak or negatively affecting their reputation. Lawyers we may be, but we are human, after all. In 2004 a study was completed at Cottonwood de Tucson, a behavioral health treatment center in Arizona, where lawyers recovering from mental illness were interviewed. These individuals indicated that one main obstacle preventing them from accessing care was that they believed they could handle it on their own. Additionally, these lawyers were afraid that seeking help would negatively impact their reputation.” Read the News
Kirkland & Ellis to Offer ‘Emotional Fitness’ Training at All Law Firm Offices
The ABA Journal reports that following a trial program involving 60 lawyers in its Chicago office, Kirkland & Ellis is expanding Life XT to all offices. Described by the Wall Street Journal Law Blog as “emotional fitness” training, the program in Chicago included workshops for attorneys on reducing stress and improving emotional coping skills. Read the News
Why Lawyers are so Stressed Out and How to Prevent It
The New York City Bar met recently to discuss stress in the legal profession. The workshop–titled Resilience for Lawyers: Practical Skills to Decrease Stress and Avoid Burnout–was run specifically by the Mindfulness in Law program, a group that meets monthly at the New York City Bar to discuss using meditative practices in the legal profession. Read the News
For Florida Women Lawyers, High Stress Equals Unequal Pay
The Miami Herald reports, “Women have made their way into law firms and courtrooms. They have ascended to the top of some of the biggest firms and legal departments in the country. But that doesn’t mean they are happy.” Read the News
High Rates of Alcohol Abuse, Depression Among U.S. Attorneys, Study Says
The Chicago Tribune reports, “A large new study showing high levels of alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety among U.S. attorneys aims to put data behind long-standing concerns about problem drinking in the high-stress legal profession, in hopes of propelling action”This is a mainstream problem in the legal profession,” said the study’s lead author, Patrick Krill, director of the Legal Professionals Program at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and a lawyer himself. ‘There needs to be a systemic response.'” Read the News
Upcoming ABA Webinar on Batting Burnout and Depression
This ABA program to be held on April 18,2016 between 1:00 p.m. and 2:35 p.m. (EST) will focus on stress management and emotional balance, peer-to-peer support groups, workaholic behaviors and proactive approaches to accommodating and supervising those at risk. Register Now
Lawyers, Drinking, Depression: A Problem That Isn’t Going Away
A landmark study by the American Bar Association and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation depicts a profession troubled by problem drinking, depression, anxiety—and abiding fears about seeking help. In a pair of interviews, Joan Bibelhausen of LCL and study co-author Linda Albert discuss the findings and what the profession can do to address them. Read the News
Anxiety Management for Lawyers
Lawyer Jenna Cho writes, “Many lawyers view anxiety as a necessary part of life. It’s what fuels their motivation. And at the same time, it’s also an annoyance. This sort of unwelcomed feelings of anxiety, which frequently shows up coupled with other somatic complaints such as insomnia, backaches, headaches, etc somehow becomes an acceptable state of being.” Read her Blog
Cautionary Takes of Personal Burnout
Lawyer Megan Zavieh writes, “My purpose is to encourage attorneys to stop buying into the “Superman complex” — the idea that nothing is going to hurt you — and consider the ramifications of not taking care of yourself.” Read her Blog
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