Participants will examine cultural perceptions of addiction, recognize the significance of mental health for legal professionals, and explore the dynamics within families impacted by addiction.

This comprehensive course is designed to equip participants with a deep understanding of problematic gambling in the U.S., focusing on legal and ethical considerations, particularly within the legal profession. Through a combination of research, best practices, and interactive discussion, participants will gain valuable insights into the various aspects of gambling disorders, their effects, and the impact of disordered gambling on individuals and specific challenges faced by legal professionals.

Resiliency can be learned and is a key skill for all attorneys to master.
The stress of being a lawyer today continues to mount as our work evolves at a rapid pace. Our clients and even our own colleagues often expect us to be available and sharp 24/7; to utilize every efficiency in our work; and to be error free even when the proverbial storm rages around us. We are expected to be legal experts, to stay on top of the latest developments, to manage our practice, and to market our skills. And those are just the professional obligations.
The constant drumbeat of more and faster and better requires us to continually adapt and be at our best when representing clients regardless of professional and personal challenges. Moreover, attorney ethics guidelines require us to be mentally sharp to properly represent our clients. As we face the pressures of law practice in the digital age, attorney resilience is more critical than ever. This webcast explores why and how attorneys can develop the habits and skills to build and maintain resiliency – both in their law practices and as members of their families and communities.

This course will examine current considerations of and issues with cannabis/marijuana in United States and how these impact lawyers. There is a review of cannabis legality and availability in different states, considerations of the use of medical marijuana, and a review of the physiology of addiction. Statistics on addiction rates and marijuana usage will also be presented. Impact on health and wellness of the general population and the legal profession in specific will be examined. Finally, a discussion of legal versus ethic use of marijuana by lawyers will be presented.

Substance use and mental health disorders – especially depression – are alarmingly prevalent in legal professionals, with far-reaching impacts. With at least 1 in 5 attorneys suffering from Major Depressive Disorder, the illness can have devastating personal and professional repercussions that can also carry over to clients, partners, and other staff. This program dispels the stigma associated with mental health – one of the major roadblocks to legal professionals reaching out for help. It provides a comprehensive overview of risk factors and symptoms of depression, why attorneys are particularly vulnerable, compelling reasons for seeking help, and intervention strategies for attorneys with colleagues in need of support. It also explores what you can do now to improve your own happiness and well-being and boost resilience during challenging times.

This course will explore how attorneys are more likely than the public to have a substance use and/or mental health issue through data comprised from published studies in the past 7 years. It will examine burnout, as well as contributors to burnout. Participants will learn about stress management through a wide variety of areas, including sleep hygiene, nutrition, physical activity, meditation, and emotional connection.

Like many other professionals, attorneys’ lives are filled to the brim with anxiety and stress. The consequences of shrugging it off can be catastrophic – not only for them but for their family, staff, colleagues, and friends. Similarly, the ramifications of trauma aren’t discussed as frequently as those of stress, yet it can be secondary or vicarious. Whether from the cumulative effect of listening to a client or witness relay graphic stories and experiences, a personal loss, or even the grief associated with lost opportunities and unmet expectations due to the cancellation of long planned events, trauma can take a significant toll. Not properly dealing with these stressors can lead to negative coping mechanisms, such as abuse of alcohol and drugs.

To be a good lawyer, one must first be a healthy lawyer. And most healthy lawyers share a common trait – a commitment to well-being. A recent ALM lawyer study reported some improvement in practitioner health and well-being (although there is still work to be done), giving us all hope about our future work. However, to keep mental health and well-being strides moving forward, individuals and organizations must be purposeful with how work volume, client expectations, firm cultures, and other environmental factors are managed to ensure enduring well-being for lawyers.

This course will examine areas of being a lawyer that are enhanced and grown when a lawyer is sober and working a recovery program. It provides an overview of the 12-Step recovery program, as well as several other non-12-Step programs. It will explain tangible benefits of being in recovery and provide suggestions for how to integrate professional and recovery life successfully.

There is no question that our dependence on screens is negatively impacting our mental health and well-being. Navigating through the pandemic gave us many reasons to exacerbate our reliance upon on technology so that we could function and stay connected. The high prevalence of substance use and mental health challenges in the legal profession were already astounding, yet our inability to turn away from our electronic devices is adding to these feelings of isolation and loneliness. As we transition away from the restrictions of the last two years, it is more important than ever to be mindful of our screen dependence and intentional about how we spend our time -- including prioritizing self-care and wellness. In this one hour program, you’ll gain wellness tips and strategies that can easily be implemented into your daily life. The program will also explore how the dependence on anything -- from screens to substances -- can impact your ability to uphold your obligations under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Just like our electronic devices, we all can benefit from the occasional “hard reset.”