Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

In its latest campaign, Reed Smith is aiming to chip away at what it calls one of the "most formidable barriers" preventing lawyers from taking care of their mental health: stigma around mental illnesses.

The firm's new #stopthestigma campaign comes out of a partnership between its Wellness Works initiative, launched two years ago, and its Mental Health Task Force, which was launched in January.

"Eliminating stigma can encourage people to seek the help they need for what we know are treatable conditions—and can result in significant improvements in individuals' and families' lives," Casey Ryan, Reed Smith's global head of legal personnel, said in a statement. "This is an essential outcome our firm is committed to achieving."

Results of ALM's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Survey, released last month, found that 31.2% of the more than 3,800 respondents feel they are depressed, 64% feel they have anxiety, 10.1% feel they have an alcohol problem and 2.8% feel they have a drug problem.

Asked if they feel they could take extended leave to address mental health or substance abuse issues, 65% said no—of that majority, 78% said taking leave would hurt their career trajectory, 77% said they fear what the firm would think, and 36% said they fear what clients would think.

Campaign events and activities include:

• An educational program Wednesday led by Mettie Spiess, a certified psychological health and safety adviser and founder of A World Without Suicide.
• A video series featuring lawyers and professional staff at the firm and mental health allies sharing their stories.
• A U.S.-wide mental health and safety leadership training session for firm managers.
• "Wear Green Day" on March 19 to raise awareness of the #stopthestigma campaign.
• An educational program March 26 led by Kelly Rentzel, general counsel for Texas Capital Bank, who will share her compelling story of living with bipolar disorder.

Despite the proliferation of counseling and mental wellness programs at many law firms, stigma has continued to be a pernicious obstacle in getting lawyers treatment. Last year, Husch Blackwell chairman Greg Smith made public his 30-year recovery from alcohol abuse in a speech to partners at the firm's annual retreat in an effort to show vulnerability and quash mental health stigma at his firm.

At a mental health panel at Legalweek New York 2020 in February, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld chairwoman Kim Koopersmith said she frequently speaks to her attorneys about wellness, finding that sharing personal stories about herself and family helps show others that everyone is vulnerable.

The announcement from Reed Smith comes during Mental Wellness Month, which takes place annually in March.

Read more – Minds Over Matters: An Examination of Mental Health in the Legal Profession