Attorney Well-Being & Substance Abuse

Evidence-based exploration of attorney well-being. Covers depression, anxiety, and substance abuse prevalence, ethical obligations regarding impairment, lawyer assistance programs, burnout prevention, and creating well-being-focused firms.

6 Units

Early Units (Foundation)

Building Skills

Advanced Concepts

Capstone/Synthesis

The Crisis in Attorney Well-Being: Data and Profession-Specific Stressors

Examines the ABA National Task Force report on lawyer well-being, prevalence data on depression and substance abuse, and the unique stressors inherent to legal practice.

20 minutes

Substance Abuse and Addiction in the Legal Profession

Analyzes substance abuse prevalence in the legal profession, impairment recognition, and the duty to report under professional responsibility rules.

20 minutes

Ethical Obligations Regarding Impairment: Rule 8.3 and Confidentiality

Examines Model Rule 8.3, the interplay between reporting obligations and confidentiality protections, and the use of lawyer assistance programs as alternatives to discipline.

20 minutes

Mental Health Resources and Lawyer Assistance Programs

Examines the structure and confidentiality protections of lawyer assistance programs, treatment versus discipline pathways, and evidence-based interventions for impairment.

20 minutes

Preventing Burnout and Building Resilience

Examines burnout prevention and resilience-building through work-life integration, boundary setting, mindfulness practice, and organizational culture change.

20 minutes

Creating Well-Being-Focused Law Firms and Legal Organizations

Examines leadership's role in creating well-being-focused legal organizations through structural changes, cultural shifts, and evidence-based prevention and intervention programs.

20 minutes

Learning Progression

This course is designed to be taken sequentially. Earlier units establish foundational concepts that later units build upon. While you can explore units in any order, following the numbered sequence provides the most coherent learning experience.