Wellness and Quality of Life
A Commitment to Lawyer Well Being
Law is a demanding profession that can take its toll on lawyers, as evidenced by rates of chronic stress, depression and substance use among lawyers and law students. This poses a threat to the health of lawyers and to the legal profession. Lawyer competency requires taking care of our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing as part of our commitment to professional responsibility. The Committee on the Profession wants all lawyers to live up to the standards of professionalism contained in the Lawyer’s Oath and Code of Professionalism
https://www.lsba.org/Professionalism/. Only through a continued emphasis on attorney wellness can we fulfill these goals.
Judges and Lawyers’ Assistance Program (JLAP)
The Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, Inc. (JLAP) is a full-service and comprehensive mental health and wellness assistance program with full-time professional clinical staff members. JLAP provides direct and confidential assistance for all mental health issues that members of the legal profession may encounter.
Visit JLAP for more information
THE PATH TO LAWYER WELL-BEING: Practical Recommendations For Positive Change
To be a good lawyer, one has to be a healthy lawyer. Sadly, our profession is falling short when it comes to well-being. The two studies referenced above reveal that too many lawyers and law students experience chronic stress and high rates of depression and substance use. These findings are incompatible with a sustainable legal profession, and they raise troubling implications for many lawyers’ basic competence. This research suggests that the current state of lawyers’ health cannot support a profession dedicated to client service and dependent on the public trust.....
We are at a crossroads.
View the ABA Report
State Bar of Michigan: On Balance Podcast
The State Bar of Michigan podcast series, On Balance, features a diversified array of legal thought leaders. Hosted by JoAnn Hathaway of the bar’s Practice Management Resource Center and Tish Vincent of its Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program, the series focuses on the need for interplay between practice management and lawyer-wellness for a thriving law practice.
Visit the Podcast
ABA WELL-BEING TOOLKIT FOR LAWYERS AND LEGAL EMPLOYERS
Who should use this Toolkit? This Toolkit is primarily designed for use by lawyers and legal employers to
enhance individual and workplace well-being. It offers a variety of suggestions, keeping in mind that needs and resources vary widely
View the Toolkit
Mindfulness:Training Programs and Keynotes
Scott Rogers is a nationally regarded mindfulness teacher, author, and trainer. He is founder and director of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies and of the University of Miami School of Law's Mindfulness in Law Program and he co-founded and co-directs the University of Miami's Mindfulness Research & Practice Initiative.
Visit Scott Rogers
The Anxious Lawyer
One of the primary responsibilities for most lawyers is to control the outcome of his or her cases. Not only must we strive to affect, mold and predict the future, we also need to be on guard for anything that may come up to impede our desired outcome. It’s no wonder that so many lawyers suffer from anxiety, stress, depression and substance abuse.
Visit the Anxious Lawyer
Addressing Lawyer Mental Wellness at the Virginia Bar
Len Heath talks about lawyer mental wellness and why it’s an issue worthy of attention in today’s legal industry. Visit the Podcast