What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Attorney Ethics & Well-Being

It has been a truism for decades, if not centuries, that lawyers have problems with the bottle - so common that it even appears as a cliché in movies and novels. This program will first address some of the underlying reasons that lawyers suffer disproportionately high rates of substance abuse and mental health problems. The course will then review some common examples of attorney misconduct caused by substance abuse and/or mental illness. The panel will examine both how these issues affect the individual attorneys and the law firm and profession as a whole, and will provide resources for attorneys who are seeking help. Viewers will also hear firsthand about the experience of managing depression while maintaining a law practice.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze the material issues in the legal profession that make mental illness and substance abuse disproportionately common among attorneys
2. Discuss hypothetical scenarios of attorney misconduct that can arise due to mental illness or substance abuse
3. Review the ethical rules relevant to attorneys abusing substances or suffering from mental illness
4. Identify resources that are available to attorneys looking for help