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LCLMAdmin

This author has written 205 articles

Don’t wish for a time machine – Regrets can be very useful

A fun little game to stir up regrets is to ask yourself what you would change from your past if you had a time machine. Would you take an opportunity that you missed? Would you refrain from doing something that had negative consequences? Would you face a fear? This exercise can highlight events in our past that, through hindsight, seem to be a detriment to our present life as we experience it. Regrets can uncomfortable, and at times downright painful. The major flaw of this game is that it devalues regrets, makes us wish for an impossible alternate reality, and often increases shame and helplessness.

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ADHD in the Real Life of a Lawyer – An interview with Anna Levine, Esq.

In keeping with October’s theme of ADHD Awareness Month, we decided to interview our very own Executive Director of LCL, Anna Levine.

LCL: When did you know you had ADHD?

Anna Levine, Esq.: I’m not sure.  I always knew it was difficult for me to sit still or to listen without interrupting, but I did not know necessarily there was a name for it.  I just thought I was weird, and maybe also that I was inferior to my peers.  Because my ADHD expresses itself in impulsive behaviors like excessive talking, I felt like I was weak, like somehow the reason I could not be quieter was because I somehow had less discipline or will power than my quieter classmates or colleagues.  It was not until my late thirties or early forties (after I felt that my ADHD was impacting my work performance and after dealing with a child who has ADHD) that I decided to seek out a diagnosis.  By the time I had made that decision, I had already done a fair amount of research on ADHD and had taken multiple self-assessments, I was certain that I had ADHD.  Getting the diagnosis was just a formality, a confirmation of a conclusion I had already reached myself.  

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What’s a Lawyer with ADHD to do?

October is ADHD Awareness month. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is present in about 4-5% of adults. Those dealing with ADHD have a range of experiences, but many encounter difficulty concentrating at times, become overly focused on specific things at other times, struggle to complete work on time, have organizational issues, find it difficult to follow directions to their completion, and exhibit impulsivity. These (and other) symptoms have a real effect on professional functioning, personal relationships, and emotional well-being. And while most people talk about ADHD as a hurdle to overcome, there are also many people who look to the advantages of ADHD as tools for success. Here are a few such examples, a podcast and an article.

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Defining Lawyer Well-Being

Recently a comprehensive report was published by the ABA titled “The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change” (find the full text here). Within its pages you will find numerous recommendations for how to increase the well-being of the legal community from multiple sources (law schools, judges, attorney regulators, bar associations, employers, etc.). The report starts, as any report on well-being should start, with the definition of lawyer well-being.

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A Little Ambiguity Can Help You Go a Long Way

Despite the widely held belief that standing firm in your positions is a sign of strength (the image of certainty, confidence, and success), strategically embracing ambiguity can be the secret to overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Specifically, the way we think about our circumstances and the potential future outcomes of our efforts can be greatly aided by keeping an open mind about various possibilities. Instead of relying on the certainty of having only one path to arrive at your goal, embrace the options of a network of paths that will increase your chances of arriving at your desired destination.

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How to Practice Mindfulness and Reduce Anxiety

Anxiety lives in the future. It cannot exist in the present moment. If something bad is happening in the present moment, you might not like it, but you are not anxious about it. Anxiety requires the ambiguity of the future. The never-ending “what if” questions. You cannot ask “what if” questions about what has already happened, or what is currently happening. Anxiety thrives in the unknown.

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cleaning up toxic legal workplaces

How to Clean Up Toxic Workplaces

Workplaces do not start off toxic, they develop into hostile environments over time. Get the warning signs a work environment is corroding -- and practical tips to help fix the problems. Disgruntled employees. Low morale. Infighting. Wasted time and low…

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ABA Report on the Path to Lawyer Well-Being

In recent months, there has been an increase in the discussions of the high rates of substance abuse and mental health issues burdening lawyers, rates much higher than the general population. A recent study has confirmed what many of us…

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The Reasons Why Warning Signs of Substance Abuse are Often Missed

Given the prevalence of alcohol abuse and the opioid epidemic across the US, it is probably safe to say that everyone either knows of someone or has heard of someone in the media who has suffered from substance abuse. Some of these stories do not strike us as surprising because they fit our stereotypes of what a substance abuser looks like. We are usually not taken off guard by stories of wealthy, bored celebrities living a party lifestyle eventually entering rehab for a substance abuse problem or hearing about the high rates of drug abuse among homeless individuals (assuming that those examples reflect stereotypes you hold).

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The Right Therapist > The Right Therapy

Many times when I see lawyers (or their family members) for assessment at LCL, I go on to refer them to an outside provider for ongoing therapy/counseling.  Unfortunately but necessarily, often the first consideration in choosing a provider is a review of the individual’s managed care provider list.  (I always hope the list includes people we know.)

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