Attorney Wellbeing & Ethics: Taking Care of Ourselves & Our Practice

This program will review the ethical requirements for lawyers, and how addressing their emotional, occupational, intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social needs helps attorneys comply with their ethical obligations. This program will provide information on substance use and mental health concerns within the legal profession, why lawyers are reluctant to seek out much-needed help, and concrete steps that can be taken by lawyers and legal employers to better care for our needs. In addition, this program will teach several trauma-informed embodiment tools for lawyers to use to manage anxiety, overwhelm, or stress.

Presented by Alyssa Johnson, this program will benefit lawyers interested in creating a more balanced, healthy relationship to the practice of law.

Learning Objectives:

1. Address the Model Rules of Ethics implicated in maintaining lawyer well-being
2. Identify what well-being is and how it relates to the duty of competence and other ethical rules
3. Examine the prevalence of substance use and mental health issues affecting the legal community
4. Discuss steps lawyers can take to ameliorate substance use and mental health issues within ourselves and our colleagues
5. Examine why it's imperative that the legal profession take these steps – including adherence to ethical obligations