What Law Firms Can Do to Promote Mental Health for Their Lawyers

Statistics reveal that going to law school should carry a Surgeon General’s warning about the risk of developing mental health issues, including addiction. Thus, we are welcoming into our profession individuals with a greatly heightened risk of mental-health challenges, ranging from mild anxiety to addiction. Our workplaces, however, seldom account for these heightened propensities, and often exacerbate them. Yet, tending to the mental-health needs of lawyers is an important professional responsibility. Not only is it an obligation to our colleagues as human beings, but it is also an obligation to our clients. Offering legal counsel requires a high level of mental and physical wellness. When that slips, so does work performance.