Illinois (IL) Mental Illness Awareness CLE Course Catalog

In this 1-hour course, Dr. Brian Russell, Licensed Psychologist and Attorney, discusses issues encountered and interventions employed repeatedly in years of psychotherapy sessions with attorneys. Topics include "impostor syndrome," perfectionism, burnout, and spillover effects on relationships outside of work, as well as tips to help attorneys manage work-related stress more healthily, effectively, and sustainably.

In this program, seasoned mental health attorney Carolyn Reinach Wolf (Abrams Fensterman LLP) will take the audience to an in-depth conversation about the growing issues surrounding substance abuse and addiction among legal professionals. The speaker will also present the best strategies and practices for prevention and treatment.

Lawyers are much more likely than other professions to suffer from substance use and mental health disorders due to the high-stress nature of our work and a culture that encourages us to be self-reliant. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing stress and isolation among lawyers has made this problem even worse, particularly for the newest members of the bar. Our experts discuss this alarming trend and what we can do to help ourselves and our colleagues during these difficult times.