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

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April 27, 2020 | Analysis

Law Firms Want to Improve Mental Health, but They're 'Failing to Take Preventative Action'

In response to ALM's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Survey, many expressed doubts that common legal industry practices, which are in part responsible for the historic profitability of law firms, will ever change.
8 minute read
February 03, 2020 | Expert Opinion

Mental Health Care 2.0: What's Next in Healing Minds and Bodies of Legal Professionals?

The Chief Human Resources Officer at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman writes that as human professionals and as human beings in a human industry, we must ask ourselves, "What are we going to do about this pervasive problem?"
5 minute read
January 30, 2020 | Commentary

Mental Health Challenges Among Lawyers: In Defense of Conventional Medicine

The mental health crisis in the legal profession is real. Conventional medicine helps thousands of lawyers with mental illness lead successful, productive lives. To suggest otherwise is dangerous.
4 minute read
January 27, 2020 | News

Ex-Kirkland, Wilkinson Walsh Litigator Calls It Quits to Escape Stress and Just 'Go Home'

Brant Bishop, 50, stepped back from his high-stakes litigation career this month to embrace more time with his family. "For now the plan is to not really have much of a plan," he said.
5 minute read
January 22, 2020 | Best Practices

Veteran Law Firm Well-Being Pros Offer Tips on Building Programs, Getting Buy-In

"I need to have metrics behind it that show the success," said Kathleen Pearson, the chief human resources officer at Pillsbury, speaking on a panel as part of a daylong Conference Board event on mental health and addiction issues in the legal profession at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's San Francisco office.
7 minute read
January 17, 2020 | Commentary

With Your Law Firm's Help or Not, Here's a Path to Mental and Physical Health

The three foundational pillars of health are body, mind and environment.
7 minute read
January 10, 2020 | Commentary

'Ian Was No Different From You': Wife Says Legal Marketer's Suicide Is a Lesson in Addressing Mental Health Challenges

Ian Turvill was coping with his struggles until he wasn't, his wife Dr. Marny Turvill explains. From her painful experience, she offers tips to individuals for making positive changes.
11 minute read
December 18, 2019 | Commentary

How to Hit the 'No' Button (And Keep Your Law Job!)

Failing to set boundaries—and as a result not giving yourself enough time to rest, recharge and recover—can increase the risk of mental health problems.
8 minute read
December 11, 2019 | Commentary

Lawyer Well-Being at Work: It's a Two-Way Street

It's not the number of hours we're billing or the number of hours we're working; it's the way we feel about how we spend those hours that matters.
7 minute read
December 09, 2019 | News

NY's Law School Deans Ask Court Officials to Remove Mental Health Question for Attorney Applicants

In a brief letter sent to state court officials, 14 deans of the 15 law schools in New York state said the inquiry should be stripped from the state's application.
6 minute read
December 04, 2019 | Commentary

It's Time to Talk About Mental Health in Asia's Legal Industry

A variety of factors are leading to grim statistics, but one major obstacle to mental health treatment in Asian countries is the cultural attitudes that have persisted for decades.
7 minute read
April 22, 2020 | News

Legal's Biggest Challenge With Remote Work Isn't Tech. It's Mental Health

A new survey conducted by Loeb Leadership found that from an IT stance, the sudden move to working remotely has gone relatively smoothly for many lawyers. But it's also created new stresses and demands for soft skills crucial to operating virtually.
4 minute read
November 27, 2019 | Podcast

Legal Speak Special Edition: 'The Butterfly Effect' of Building Lawyer Resilience

Adam Markel, a lawyer who now writes and speaks about mental health fitness, talks with Gina Passarella, editor-in-chief of Law.com affiliate The American Lawyer, about making small life changes to achieve self-care in the demanding profession of practicing law.
1 minute read
November 21, 2019 | News

Attorney Mental Health: 'Thanksgiving' Isn't Just a Holiday

The idea behind a gratitude practice is easy enough: It means taking time to think intentionally about positive events and people in your life.
5 minute read
November 15, 2019 | Podcast

This Big-Law Veteran Hit Rock Bottom. Here's How She Got Sober.

Lisa Smith, who started her path to recovery 15 years ago, says there's a "myth" about the so-called high-functioning alcoholic.
2 minute read
December 23, 2019 | Commentary

Here's How Law Firms Can Promote Mental Health During the Holidays

It's on law firm leaders to ensure our attorneys and staff get the support, resources and understanding they need to develop and maintain healthy professional lives—and to address unhealthy habits.
6 minute read
November 04, 2019 | News

Legislation Introduced to Strike Question About Mental Health History for Attorney Applicants in NY

The legislative proposal follows a meeting Saturday from the New York State Bar Association's governing body, which voted to recommend that the state stop asking applicants about their mental health.
8 minute read
October 23, 2019 | Q&A

For Stressed Out Law Students: Put Down the Phone. And Breathe.

Attorney coach and UCLA law lecturer Judith Gordon discusses why law school is so stressful, and what students can do to manage their classroom anxieties.
6 minute read
October 15, 2019 | Commentary

I Was a Law School Jackass: How I'd Do It Differently Now

The efforts some firms and schools are undertaking to tackle the mental health problems in the legal profession are commendable. But until we stop perceiving each other as a threat, the profession will continue to suffer at rates higher than in similar occupations.
6 minute read
October 08, 2019 | News

Keep Calm and Practice: Lawyer Launches '21st Century' Sound Meditation App

Cincinnati-based lawyer Gary Powell has been meditating for over a decade. Now, he wants to bring his experiences to the broader legal market through his Legally Mindful app. But can attorneys keep calm while working?
5 minute read
October 04, 2019 | Podcast

Stressed Out, Left Out: Law Firm Staff Suffering in Silence

As part of our Minds Over Matters project, Law.com reporter Dylan Jackson focuses on how legal professionals, including marketing directors, business developers and law firm administrators, often feel under-appreciated and misunderstood at work.
2 minute read
October 09, 2019 | News

Law Grad Who Disclosed Alcoholism as Student Claims Bar Is Now Taking Punitive Action

U.S. Army veteran and law student Julius Hobbs claims the Florida Board of Bar Examiners has breached a settlement agreement by asking him to appear at an investigative hearing, but the board says it is within its rights to do so.
5 minute read
March 16, 2020 | Commentary

In a Year Full of Worry and Division, How to Protect Your Mental Health

Just as you can do things to safeguard yourself from the coronavirus, you can also takes steps to avoid the mental fallout.
7 minute read
September 30, 2019 | Commentary

What the Heck Is 'Mindfulness' and How Can It Improve a Lawyer's Life?

Distinct from meditation, the concept means going off autopilot and reaction mode and being aware and tuned in to your body, your environment or your task.
5 minute read
September 15, 2019 | Commentary

Failure Is Inevitable—and Invaluable

Good things don't happen despite the bad ones. They happened because of them. Put another way, the only way to succeed is to fail.
6 minute read
October 30, 2019 | News

NY State Bar Set to Eye Removal of Mental Health Question for Attorney Applicants

It's estimated that fewer than 2% of applicants even answer affirmatively to the question about mental health. But statistics indicate that the population of law school students who actually deal with challenges to their mental health is much greater, according to the report.
8 minute read
October 30, 2019 | News

NY State Bar Set to Eye Removal of Mental Health Question for Attorney Applicants

It's estimated that fewer than 2% of applicants even answer affirmatively to the question about mental health. But statistics indicate that the population of law school students who actually deal with challenges to their mental health is much greater, according to the report.
8 minute read
September 23, 2019 | Commentary

What Law Firms Need to Know When Hiring a Well-Being Director

These professionals come from a variety of backgrounds with a wide breadth of knowledge and experience and with credentials in vastly different things.
6 minute read
September 10, 2019 | Commentary

It's Time to Talk About the Family's Role in the Mental Health of Legal Professionals

A broader view of helping lawyers and legal staff means recognizing that the struggle with depression, anxiety or substance abuse is likely to touch loved ones.
6 minute read
September 03, 2019 | Commentary

Addressing Mental Health Means Removing All Your Masks

"I still fall into wearing a mask now and then, but I have better tools to recognize it and center my true self," Brian Cuban writes.
6 minute read
September 11, 2019 | News

Free Lawyer Assistance Program Sees Big Jump in Users

The numbers are on pace to double the number of users from 2017.
3 minute read
August 25, 2019 | News

Making Mental Health a Money Matter: 3M Uses ABA Wellness Pledge In Outside Counsel Search

In the almost year since the American Bar Association unveiled its seven-point framework designed to help combat substance abuse and other mental health problems in the legal profession, only five in-house departments have made the commitment: 3M, Barclays, Cummins, U.S. Bank and VMWare.
7 minute read
August 16, 2019 | Podcast

Lawyer Resilience in a Pressure-Cooker Profession. It's (Probably) Not What You Think.

"Resilience" doesn't mean "endurance." It involves taking care of ourselves so that we're in the best position to survive—and thrive—amid the intense demands of practicing law.
2 minute read
August 12, 2019 | News

In the Legal Profession's Mental Health Movement, Law Firm Staffers Feel Left Behind

Recent suicides have highlighted the degree to which law firm professional staff face many of the same pressures as their lawyer colleagues, yet many feel they are being neglected.
5 minute read
March 11, 2020 | Commentary

Time Flies When You're Practicing Law. Here's How to Slow Things Down.

If you're not careful, time will start moving so fast that the next decade of your life will become an indistinguishable blip marked only by fuzzy memories of late nights at the office.
8 minute read
August 20, 2019 | News

Dentons Appoints European 'Mindfulness' Chief and Mulls Global Rollout

Karina Furga-Dabrowska's appointment comes less than a year after she launched the firm's mindfulness program NextMind.
2 minute read
August 05, 2019 | News

'Law School Was Kind of a Shock:' Students Take the Lead in Mental Health Initiatives

From student-led wellness groups to lobbying efforts to remove mental health questions from admissions applications, law students are taking the lead in pushing for more robust mental health support.
10 minute read
July 31, 2019 | Commentary

Open Letter From Dentons Partner: Mental Health Crisis Requires Rethinking Firm Business Models

Jana Cohen Barbe argues the industry needs to revamp the billable hour structure, change the performance metrics it tracks and look at compensation in a different way.
6 minute read
July 31, 2019 | Commentary

Open Letter From Dentons Partner: Mental Health Crisis Requires Rethinking Firm Business Models

Jana Cohen Barbe argues the industry needs to revamp the billable hour structure, change the performance metrics it tracks and look at compensation in a different way.
6 minute read
July 23, 2019 | News

Would Mandatory Psychologist Appointments Reduce Burnout in Big Law?

Big Law partners-turned-psychologists argue counseling sessions for all lawyers at key points in their careers could make all the difference in improving mental health and burnout in the profession.
5 minute read
July 18, 2019 | News

'Don't Label Clients as the Problem': General Counsel Respond to Claims They Are at Fault for Mental Health Crisis

Prompted by a LinkedIn post by NetApp GC Matt Fawcett, in-house leaders push back on attorneys' allegations that corporate law departments are to blame for the mental health crisis in the legal profession.
5 minute read
July 14, 2019

Constantly On Call: The Client's Role in the Legal Profession's Mental Health Crisis

Lawyers said many in-house counsel aren't thinking about their impact on the mental health of outside counsel—but they should be.
3 minute read
July 14, 2019

Constantly On Call: The Client's Role in the Legal Profession's Mental Health Crisis

Lawyers said many in-house counsel aren't thinking about their impact on the mental health of outside counsel—but they should be.
3 minute read
July 11, 2019 | News

Cottage Industry Develops Around Lawyer Well-Being

Coaches, conferences and apps geared toward improving lawyer well-being are increasingly available, partly sparked by an American Bar Association pledge last year.
8 minute read
July 07, 2019 | Commentary

The Well-Being Spectrum: There's More Than 'In Crisis' or 'Perfectly Fine'

Penn Law associate dean John Hollway says programs and policies that help legal professionals cope with the normal stresses of life as they arise are the most effective, noting wellness is a spectrum.
6 minute read
June 17, 2019 | News

Law Firms Tackle Mental Health, One Initiative at a Time

Forty firms out of the Am Law 200 offered details on the steps they're taking to improve mental health and wellness among attorneys and staff.
10 minute read
June 30, 2019 | Commentary

'Like a Band-Aid Over a Bullet Wound': The Disconnect Between Firms and Lawyers on Well-Being Efforts

Law firms are trying, associates aren't buying it and there may be a bigger fix needed than any individual contingent can offer.
4 minute read
March 04, 2020 | News

Reed Smith Launches Mental Health 'Stop the Stigma' Campaign

The new campaign aims to take on the harmful misconceptions surrounding mental illness that may hold back some from seeking help.
3 minute read
May 12, 2019 | Editor's Letter

Introducing Minds Over Matters: A Yearlong Examination of Mental Health in the Legal Profession

Why our entire global newsroom is spending the next 12 months diving into issues surrounding the profession's well-being.
3 minute read
May 30, 2019 | Analysis

Is the Legal Industry Ready for a Culture Shift on Mental Health?

A "'power-through' culture is killing the legal industry. It's literally killing humans as well," one wellness consultant said.
9 minute read
May 29, 2019 | News

Kirkland Hires Lawyer Turned Therapist to Lead New Wellness Effort

The firm on Wednesday named Robin Belleau its first firmwide director of well-being. "People come to us when they're in need, so it's very difficult for a lawyer then to say, 'I actually need help,'" she said.
6 minute read
May 28, 2019 | Analysis

Battling an 'Epidemic' of Loneliness Among Lawyers

"The things that make you successful professionally can make you sick emotionally," says wellness consultant Jarrett Green.
10 minute read
May 27, 2019 | Analysis

Constantly On Call, Lawyers Risk Exhaustion

"If they had just given me a couple days to sleep for 15 hours, I would have been a different person," said one attorney-turned psychotherapist.
10 minute read
May 22, 2019 | News

What Is Compassion Fatigue and Why Are Lawyers Suffering From It?

Clients call for help because the worst has happened. And for their lawyers, dealing with the aftermath can become a trauma of its own — leading…
8 minute read
May 22, 2019

'Happiness' Tips Doled Out to Skadden Lawyers

Yale University professor Laurie Santos, who teaches a wildly popular course on happiness, says that in order to be happy, lawyers need to work at it.
4 minute read
May 19, 2019 | Analysis

Seeing Lawyers in Crisis, Some Blame the Billable Hour

Measuring lawyers by the hours they bill was long treated as a necessary evil. Faced with evidence that mental health erodes as hours increase, legal industry innovators are asking how necessary it really is.
8 minute read
May 12, 2019 | Expert Opinion

Meet the Advisory Board Guiding Law.com's Yearlong Mental Health Reporting Project

Our board members share powerful stories, in their own words, about their experiences and what they hope to change.
18 minute read
June 12, 2019 | Commentary

Progress, Not Perfection, Is Key to Law Firms' Mental Health Programs

Do we have a very long way to go? Of course. But it is imperative that we don't allow our collective perfectionism or skepticism to become the enemy of the good by minimizing gains made.
6 minute read
February 28, 2020 | Podcast

Once Optimistic, Addicted in the End: What We Can Learn from One Partner's Demise

Journalist Eilene Zimmerman, the ex-wife of a Wilson Sonsini partner who died of a drug overdose about five years ago, shares what she learned about Big Law culture in researching her new book "Smacked: A Story of White-Collar Ambition, Addiction and Tragedy."
1 minute read
June 03, 2019 | Expert Opinion

How to Cope When Losing a Job, Especially for Lawyers with Depression and Anxiety

The situation can be emotionally devastating, but there are avenues to find help.
3 minute read
May 23, 2019 | Commentary

The Source of Lawyer Stress: Firm Culture

With the mindfulness movement sweeping the nation, it is natural to wonder how law firms are contributing to the lawyer experience.
8 minute read
May 12, 2019

The Legal Profession's Very Real Impact on Personal Relationships

With so much pressure from their jobs, lawyers' often don't have time or the mental capacity to deal with their personal relationships. Psychotherapist James Dolan, who treats a number of lawyers, calls it Work Induced Alienation Syndrome.
6 minute read
May 12, 2019 | News

Mental Health Resources for Legal Professionals

As part of our Minds Over Matters series, here is contact information for organizations that can help if you or someone you know needs assistance with a mental health challenge.
1 minute read
May 12, 2019 | Podcast

Confronting the Mental Health Crisis in the Legal Profession

Law.com's Minds Over Matters project seeks to shed light on the mental health challenges in the legal profession. In this episode of Legal Speak, you'll hear from Law.com journalists who have covered news involving lawyers suffering from mental health problems and their takeaways from handling those stories.
2 minute read
May 18, 2018 | Podcast

Big Law Leader Shares Struggles with Alcoholism, Challenges for Profession

Steven Wall, managing partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, says this was his turning point: "The cracks were getting bigger and everything else around me was beginning to fail."
1 minute read
October 12, 2018 | Podcast

One Big Law Attorney's Journey with Depression, One Firm's Response to the Profession's Problem

A Baker Hostetler lawyer discusses her depression, and Latham & Watkins' COO talks about what her firm is doing to dispel the stigma of mental health challenges.
2 minute read
November 16, 2018 | Podcast

'Inhumane:' Big Law Dysfunction Through a Therapist's Lens

What factors drive high-achieving lawyers to the take their own lives and what needs to change inside law firms to address the problem? Sullivan & Cromwell associate-turned-therapist Will Meyerhofer provides his insight.
1 minute read
June 18, 2019 | News

Lawyers Turning to Tech for Mental Health Help

After seeing the pressures of legal work take a toll on attorneys, a growing number of legal professionals are launching mental health apps and resources to provide a helping hand.
4 minute read
June 10, 2019 | News

Momentum Builds for Allowing NY Bar Applicants to Keep Mental Health History Secret

"Time in law school is marked by extreme stress, anxiety, overwhelming expectations and financial uncertainty," New York Bar Association President Henry Greenberg said in a call to action. "Many students admit they are not seeking help because they are concerned that doing so will negatively impact their bar admission."
5 minute read
February 19, 2020 | News

Lawyers Reveal True Depth of Mental Health Struggles

ALM's latest Mental Health and Substance Abuse Survey shows that the problems of depression, anxiety and substance abuse among lawyers and legal professionals may be worse than realized. At the same time, more people in the profession seem open to addressing it.
13 minute read
May 12, 2019 | Analysis

Not Alone: How Five Lawyers Triumphed Over Illness and Addiction

Attorneys in every type of practice may struggle with poor mental health and substance abuse. Here are five lawyers from all different backgrounds who found support to overcome their illnesses.
2 minute read
June 05, 2019 | Commentary

Why Big Law Should Consider a Digital Declutter

In a noisy world, loosening the ties to your devices can lead to better attorney well-being and improved lawyering.
7 minute read
May 15, 2019 | Features

'I Didn't Think I'd Ever Come Back To Work' – How a Magic Circle Partner Overcame Personal Trauma Following His Wife's Death

"Whether you care about the business or about the person, it's essential that we find a way to look after that person." Clifford Chance partner Jeremy Connick shares his personal journey of mental health recovery.
4 minute read
February 12, 2019 | Commentary

'Scared. Ashamed. Crippled.': How One Lawyer Overcame Living With Depression in Big Law

Reed Smith counsel Mark Goldstein wasn't sure he could both be a lawyer and have mental health disabilities. But he learned how to survive and thrive in Big Law.
10 minute read
November 12, 2018 | Commentary

'Big Law Killed My Husband': An Open Letter From a Sidley Partner's Widow

The wife of Sidley Austin partner Gabe MacConaill shares her story.
12 minute read
March 28, 2018 | Commentary

Quinn Emanuel Partner Suffers From Depression and He Wants Everyone to Know

Struggling to find meaning in your work? Lacking motivation? Thinking about quitting? Please read this first.
5 minute read
July 03, 2019 | News

Buffalo Law Student Dies From Suicide, Family Establishes Mental Health Fund

His mother said Matthew had been struggling with mental health issues for about five years, since he suffered a concussion from playing college football.
5 minute read
May 13, 2019 | News

Law-Focused Mental Health Charity Offers Webchats Following Surge of Helpline Calls

LawCare is launching a webchat service in July that aims to reach out to more younger people in the legal profession.
2 minute read
July 29, 2019 | News

Should Georgia Bar Licensing Authorities Ask Applicants About Their Mental Health?

Georgia's application asks a nearly identical question to one asked by Connecticut bar examiners, who recently settled an ADA complaint with the U.S. attorney there.
7 minute read
February 19, 2020 | Infographic

By the Numbers: The State of Mental Health in the Legal Industry

In this infographic, we let the power of the numbers tell the story of mental health in the legal profession.
1 minute read
February 11, 2020 | News

How a Wilson Sonsini Partner Died From Drug Use and No One Saw It Coming

"It's hard to imagine addressing lawyer mental health and wellness without addressing the operational model of billable hours—to expect someone to not be depressed billing every six minutes," said Eilene Zimmerman, author of the new book "Smacked."
9 minute read

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Legal Speak is a weekly podcast that makes sense of what’s happening in the legal industry.

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