May 4-8 is Lawyer Well-Being Week

Join the legal community for Lawyer Well-Being Week. We will be posting about events, resources, and opportunities throughout the week.

The aim of Lawyer Well-Being Week is to raise awareness and encourage action across the profession to improve well-being for lawyers and their support teams. Too many lawyers are not thriving. A significant number struggle with mental health and alcohol use disorders. Many others, while not dealing with a diagnosable illness, still are not fully well. The result is that many lawyers are unable to be their best for their clients, colleagues, communities, and families.

Many organizations already have responded in a variety of constructive ways: Over 170 legal employers have signed the ABA’s Well-Being Pledge, legal employers and professional associations have launched well-being committees, state bars have held well-being conferences, more and more states offer CLE credit for well-being topics, and much more.

At stake is not only lawyers’ individual health and happiness but also our clients’ welfare. Lawyers who are not fully well cannot do their best work for their clients. Their ability to contribute positively to their employers, colleagues, families, and communities also may be impaired. The vitality of the profession’s future also is at risk. The legal profession cannot continue to tolerate a reputation for generating chronic illness and dissatisfaction and still expect to attract the best and brightest. Younger generations are seeking work that respects them as whole people.

The National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being has developed a plethora of resources, events, and activities that you can view, here.

Massachusetts is working on implementing recommendations from our SJC Steering Committee Report, which you can read, here.