Stress Management for Attorneys: Ethical Traps for the Unwary

The American Bar Association Model Rules 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 address the relationship a lawyer has with his or her client. From competence and diligence to adequacy and quality of communication with a client, a lawyer’s ability to meet these duties can become impaired when a lawyer suffers from chronic stress.

This course, presented by certified appellate law specialist and ethics advisor Francine Tone, addresses what constitutes chronic stress, the many ways lawyers unknowingly suffer from chronic stress, and the ethical arenas and specific ethical duties that are often violated as a result of chronic stress. The course will benefit attorneys who are struggling with chronic stress and the practice of law.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the neuroscience of stress and its impact on your fitness to practice law
2. Identify the ethical obligations that can be compromised as a result of chronic stress
3. Incorporate strategies for managing stress to reduce its impact on ethical obligations and how you practice law