Mental Well-Being Resources for Lawyers During COVID-19

The Lawyers' Lawyer Newsletter – Special Edition

While skilled in handling high-pressure situations, attorneys are now being pushed like never before. Unforeseen and unforeseeable client needs arise each day, requiring immediate attention. Meanwhile, many lawyers have taken on a new second job: teaching their children during the day. All of this is happening in a new, unfamiliar, and rapidly changing economy, and a different geographical location, as many have started to work from home. While the beneficiaries of our duties are familiar, the bounds and scope of our duties seem to be increasing exponentially—yet our means to fulfill those duties is static at best, and often decreasing.

Risk Management Issue: What resources are available to help lawyers manage the stress and pressures arising from the response to COVID-19?

The ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs has published a list of resources titled "Mental Health Resources for the Legal Profession During COVID-19." We've compiled a selection of these resources below.

Lawyer Assistance Programs by State

• Visit the ABA website

Anxiety

• To get free confidential, 24/7 support for anxiety, text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line which is 741741. For more information visit the Crisis Text Line website.
• Science-based strategies for coping with COVID anxiety

Office Management and Leadership

• "The Leader's Guide To Managing COVID-19 Panic," Forbes
• Tips for working remotely

Panic

• "Coronavirus and your mental health: Two experts explain why we panic and how to cope," The Star

Social Distancing

• Coping mentally with social distancing, isolation, and quarantine (PDF)

Staying Mentally Healthy

• CDC outlines mental health and coping mechanisms during COVID-19
• Change Direction's tips for staying mentally healthy
• Tips for managing our mental health in troubling times
• Online Support Groups
  • National Association for the Mentally Ill
  • Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

Stress

• "How do you keep down your stress levels at the office?" ABA Journal
• Coping with Stress (PDF)

Substance Abuse Resources

• AA
• In the Rooms: An Online Addiction Recovery Community
• Al-Anon
• Smart Recovery
• Brian Cuban's blog "The Addicted Lawyer" offers guidance and options for recovery meetings.
• "Fear Not: Speaking Out to End Stigma," a video on the importance of seeking help for mental health and substance use disorders.

Suicide

Free, confidential 24/7 support for people in distress, along with prevention and crisis resources for oneself and others through the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-TALK or visit the Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.

More Resources and Articles

• "COVID-19: Anxiety and News in the Massachusetts Legal Profession," Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Blog
• "Lawyers are supposed to plan for the worst, so how can you ease COVID-19 anxiety?" ABA Journal
• "Promoting Workplace Mental Health In The Age of COVID-19," The SHRM Blog  
• "Mental Health Resources for the Legal Profession During COVID-19," Indiana Judiciary
• "Lawyer-Parents Confront Significant Burdens While Homebound by Coronavirus," Law.com
• "How to Master Working From Home—While Under Quarantine With Kids," Parents.com
• "Managing Your Anxiety During The COVID-19 Pandemic," Maryland State Bar Association