LAWYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Referrals are fairly evenly divided between mental health issues (stress, depression, anxiety, fear, trauma, PTSD) and substance-use issues (alcohol and drugs), and we are seeing problems specifically related to living in a pandemic, such as adjusting to working remotely or attending law school virtually. It is a particularly difficult time for recent grads and new lawyers facing a challenging job market.
We’ve been hearing from both attorneys and law students diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Trying to cope with the loss of their regular routines, they report having issues with motivation, focus, and concentration. Students report having problems adjusting to virtual learning. Both students and lawyers report having difficulty with isolation. Others say that they are constantly distracted by other family members also working remotely or by young children at home. In some cases, the marital/domestic relationship is being tested.
We know people are out there suffering, so the glass-half-full take on increased referrals is that they are a good sign that people are feeling comfortable reaching out for help. And we are pleased to be providing it. We maintain a robust education program, providing monthly webinars, including on psychological tools for lawyers and law students to build resilience to manage prolonged stress during the pandemic; ways to foster mental health in the family; information on the importance of practicing self-care for well-being; ways to increase motivation and focus; tools to maintain recovery and issues specific to women in recovery; and information on the ethical implications for lawyers who are impaired.
We are providing more supportive counseling. We facilitated a group for recent grads and new attorneys navigating a challenging job market. We are facilitating a Virtual Support Group that meets weekly, giving lawyers an opportunity to connect and a safe place to talk about their concerns.
With the assistance of our LAP Committee members and volunteers, we are able to offer more peer support to our clients, providing them with support and reassurance that they are not alone. Committee membership and the number of our volunteers has increased in the last few months. It’s so satisfying to have so many wonderful lawyers who want to help their colleagues on our team!
Through the ABA’s Commission on Lawyers Assistance Programs (COLAP), LAP Directors across the country, in Canada, and the UK share information daily on best practices to address issues specific to the legal profession. Locally, the LAPs of the City Bar, the State Bar, and the Nassau County Bar meet weekly to discuss programming and support one another in our work to help lawyers, judges, law students, and their families throughout New York State.
I do believe there is a silver lining in this pandemic, and it relates to stigma. Everyone is stressed, and the scientists and professionals are telling us that, in a time of great uncertainty, it’s normal to feel stressed, depressed, anxious, and fearful. Normalizing these emotions makes it easier for legal professionals to reach out for help.
Our goal is further normalization. With the help of our Policy Department, we have drafted a proposal for a standalone mental health, substance use, and well-being CLE, so that every lawyer in New York State will be educated about the issues that directly affect 25 percent of the profession.
The City Bar’s Mindfulness and Well-Being in Law Committee (Cecilia Loving, Chair) has produced a Mindfulness and Well-Being Toolkit to share books, articles, podcasts, mobile applications, and mindful exercises in the six dimensions of well-being as identified by the American Bar Association: occupational satisfaction, emotional needs, physical fitness, intellectual endeavors, spiritual development, and social connection. These tools are designed to cultivate satisfaction, growth, and enrichment in your career; help you holistically connect with priorities in the law; support daily productivity; improve your emotional, physical, and intellectual resilience; strengthen connections to enhance inclusion in the workplace and reduce bias; and clarify your sense of purpose through values and self-reflection. All those in the legal community – lawyers, judges, law students, faculty, and other legal professionals – are welcome to check out these resources.
And check the weekly eNews, as the Committee periodically highlights a resource from the Toolkit that you can easily incorporate into your daily wellness plan.
LAWYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Referrals are fairly evenly divided between mental health issues (stress, depression, anxiety, fear, trauma, PTSD) and substance-use issues (alcohol and drugs), and we are seeing problems specifically related to living in a pandemic, such as adjusting to working remotely or attending law school virtually. It is a particularly difficult time for recent grads and new lawyers facing a challenging job market.
We’ve been hearing from both attorneys and law students diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Trying to cope with the loss of their regular routines, they report having issues with motivation, focus, and concentration. Students report having problems adjusting to virtual learning. Both students and lawyers report having difficulty with isolation. Others say that they are constantly distracted by other family members also working remotely or by young children at home. In some cases, the marital/domestic relationship is being tested.
We know people are out there suffering, so the glass-half-full take on increased referrals is that they are a good sign that people are feeling comfortable reaching out for help. And we are pleased to be providing it. We maintain a robust education program, providing monthly webinars, including on psychological tools for lawyers and law students to build resilience to manage prolonged stress during the pandemic; ways to foster mental health in the family; information on the importance of practicing self-care for well-being; ways to increase motivation and focus; tools to maintain recovery and issues specific to women in recovery; and information on the ethical implications for lawyers who are impaired.
We are providing more supportive counseling. We facilitated a group for recent grads and new attorneys navigating a challenging job market. We are facilitating a Virtual Support Group that meets weekly, giving lawyers an opportunity to connect and a safe place to talk about their concerns.
With the assistance of our LAP Committee members and volunteers, we are able to offer more peer support to our clients, providing them with support and reassurance that they are not alone. Committee membership and the number of our volunteers has increased in the last few months. It’s so satisfying to have so many wonderful lawyers who want to help their colleagues on our team!
Through the ABA’s Commission on Lawyers Assistance Programs (COLAP), LAP Directors across the country, in Canada, and the UK share information daily on best practices to address issues specific to the legal profession. Locally, the LAPs of the City Bar, the State Bar, and the Nassau County Bar meet weekly to discuss programming and support one another in our work to help lawyers, judges, law students, and their families throughout New York State.
I do believe there is a silver lining in this pandemic, and it relates to stigma. Everyone is stressed, and the scientists and professionals are telling us that, in a time of great uncertainty, it’s normal to feel stressed, depressed, anxious, and fearful. Normalizing these emotions makes it easier for legal professionals to reach out for help.
Our goal is further normalization. With the help of our Policy Department, we have drafted a proposal for a standalone mental health, substance use, and well-being CLE, so that every lawyer in New York State will be educated about the issues that directly affect 25 percent of the profession.
The City Bar’s Mindfulness and Well-Being in Law Committee (Cecilia Loving, Chair) has produced a Mindfulness and Well-Being Toolkit to share books, articles, podcasts, mobile applications, and mindful exercises in the six dimensions of well-being as identified by the American Bar Association: occupational satisfaction, emotional needs, physical fitness, intellectual endeavors, spiritual development, and social connection. These tools are designed to cultivate satisfaction, growth, and enrichment in your career; help you holistically connect with priorities in the law; support daily productivity; improve your emotional, physical, and intellectual resilience; strengthen connections to enhance inclusion in the workplace and reduce bias; and clarify your sense of purpose through values and self-reflection. All those in the legal community – lawyers, judges, law students, faculty, and other legal professionals – are welcome to check out these resources.
And check the weekly eNews, as the Committee periodically highlights a resource from the Toolkit that you can easily incorporate into your daily wellness plan.