ABA President Sees Call to Action in Quinn Emanuel Partner's Story of Depression
Sadly, our profession is falling short when it comes to well-being. Law firms need to emphasize that mental health is an indispensable part of a lawyer's competence and work to educate lawyers on mental health and addiction issues.
March 30, 2018 at 03:59 PM
3 minute read
The original version of this story was published on New York Law Journal
The story of Joseph Milowic III, the Quinn, Emanuel, Urquhart & Sullivan partner who recounts his struggle with depression in a New York Law Journal column, heralds an important message to the legal community: Lawyer well-being is crucial to the future of the profession and there is no shame in seeking help.
A landmark 2016 study conducted by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) found that 21 percent of licensed, employed attorneys qualify as problem drinkers. That compares to just 12 percent of highly educated workers in other professions. In addition, 28 percent of lawyers experience depression while 19 percent have anxiety symptoms. The study found younger attorneys in the first 10 years of practice have the highest incidence of these problems.
These numbers represent the real-life suffering of our colleagues. As president of the American Bar Association, I believe this is an important call to action. That is why the ABA created a well-being working group to help law firms create policies supporting their lawyers' mental health and well-being.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Trending Stories
- 1The Law Firm Disrupted: For Big Law Names, Shorter is Sweeter
- 2Wine, Dine and Grind (Through the Weekend): Summer Associates Thirst For Experience in 'Real Matters'
- 3The 'Biden Effect' on Senior Attorneys: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- 4BD Settles Thousands of Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
- 5First Lawsuit Filed Alleging Contraceptive Depo-Provera Caused Brain Tumor
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250