Bar applicants often have concerns about the Character & Fitness evaluation. Don't hesitate to seek the clarity you need as you begin your career as a lawyer. When did you first realize your character would be reviewed before you…
May is Mental Health Month -- and stigma is still our biggest problem. The legal profession has made promising progress -- but uncompromising confidentiality is always critical for individuals to find comfort in treatment. Here's more on our record-keeping and…
A publication from the Journal of Legal Education forthcoming this summer will feature an article titled Where Are We on the Path to Law Student Well-Being? Report on the ABA CoLAP Law Student Assistance Committee Law School Wellness Survey, by Jordana…
As you may know, the Massachusetts Bar Application includes zero questions about mental health or substance use. Unfortunately, bad questions still appear on bar applications in some other states. "Bad" might be a strong label, and answers might be processed…
The average human spends almost half of their waking hours thinking about something other than what is actually happening, according to a Harvard University study. HOW IT HELPS. Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment, intending to be…
Even if you're not blazing new trails of justice as a lawyer, you can still prioritize taking time to support real life trailblazers and the work they do to improve the world for us all. Merriam-Webster defines a trailblazer as “one that…
High stress in the legal profession is old news confirmed with recent research sparking the formation of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. Find out how to handle stress better by changing how you understand threat perception. The dictionary…
96% of law students experience significant stress, compared to 70% of med students and 43% of grad students. But it doesn’t have to be debilitating. We're covering how to evaluate your stress level, how to know when to get help,…
New research published in 2016 illuminated the need to improve Lawyer Well-Being, and the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being assembled in response, publishing The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change. The Task Force Report offered recommendations for all stakeholders in the profession, with specific action steps for Judges, Regulators, Legal Employers, Law Schools, Bar Associations, Liability Insurance Carriers, and Lawyers Assistance Programs (that’s us!). Forming a Well-Being Committee ranked among the Task Force’s most advised action steps for stakeholders as a group and individually — for the obvious reasons that collective awareness, attention, and action are more effective than we can expect to see from isolated efforts. Earlier this year, the ABA House of Delegates resolved to support well-being goals and to urge all stakeholders to consider the Report’s recommendations.
Observing the influence the Judiciary holds in our profession, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court confirmed its commitment to creating positive change by forming a Steering Committee on Lawyer Well-Being. The Committee “will explore ways to reduce stress on attorneys, help restore work-life balance, increase professional satisfaction and better support those who are confronting mental health and substance use disorders.” Members of the Commonwealth’s Steering Committee on Lawyer Well-Being were announced by Chief Justice Gants in his annual State of the Judiciary Address on October 24th. The steering committee is coordinated by Honorable Margot Botsford (ret.), who served as an associate justice on the SJC from 2007 to 2017.
Law school is not just another educational experience, not just a step toward a career that begins after graduation and admission to the bar. Your professional career begins now, in law school. What appear to be easy choices down the road are often deceptive. Unsustainable work patterns only get progressively more difficult to disrupt. Law School is your best chance to build the foundation of a career you really want.
Stress is definitely part of the experience, and isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Stress, in moderate amounts or when adequately managed, can provide motivation and drive. But sometimes it’s difficult to figure out how to keep it under control. Sometimes people need help developing new thought patterns that can address stress better. (See #9)