The legal profession has higher rates of mental illness, addiction and suicide than most other professions, with no facet of the industry left unaffected. Historically, lawyers and others in the profession have not openly discussed mental health challenges, and resources for those impacted have not been readily available. Institutions have been left without ideas on how to improve their work environment—or worse, without the motivation to do so.

We want to change that.

When we published Joanna Litt's essay in November, "Big Law Killed My Husband," much of the reaction we received was surprising. Instead of  "Oh my goodness," the response was "Oh yeah, I know just what she means."

Starting today, Law.com and its affiliate ALM publications are embarking on a major, yearlong endeavor to more deeply cover stress, depression, addiction and other mental health issues affecting the legal profession. We aim to create a place for open dialogue, to shine a light on these issues that have so long been stigmatized, and to hold the profession accountable to work toward change.

With ALM's broad coverage of the legal profession, we think we are uniquely situated to address these issues. Our goal is to help lawyers, employees and institutions, whether it be in law firms, in-house, government, public interest, ASPs, law schools or beyond.

Over the next year, you will find a dedicated space on Law.com, titled "Minds Over Matters." This 12-month examination into mental health, stress, addiction and overall well-being in the profession will house articles, analysis, data, expert advice, personal stories of triumph, a resource center, views from our very esteemed mental health advisory board and much more.

Our intention is not to cast blame or point fingers, but to destigmatize mental health challenges and move the industry forward. We will be honest in our assessment of what the profession is doing—or not—to make change, and will look to help identify root causes and best practices. We will report back on our findings throughout the year.

We want to take this time now to give our sincerest thanks to the members of our external Mental Health Advisory Board—Joanna Litt, Miriam Beezy, Patrick Krill, Joseph Milowic, Lisa Smith, John Hollway, Mark Goldstein, Brian Cuban and Steven Wall. Their guidance is crucial to the success of this endeavor, and their voices on this issue more broadly will leave a lasting impact on the profession.

Please reach out if you want to share a story, be involved, suggest ideas, or, most important, if you are looking for resources to help overcome obstacles. Reach us at [email protected] and [email protected] and find our project here and follow along with the conversation on Twitter at #MindsOverMatters.

Sincerely,

Gina Passarella, editor-in-chief, ALM's Global Legal Brands, and Leigh Jones, editor-in-chief of Law.com