Kelly: 2023, the year of well-being: You deserve it
I urge you to consider making 2023 the year to focus on your well-being and to remember that you are not alone.
Judges & Lawyers Assistance Program
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Web Exclusive: Dementia takes toll on aging lawyers, colleagues
He wasn’t angry — he was just scared. Surrounded by loved ones and law partners, the aging attorney finally confessed that he needed help.
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Web Exclusive: Supreme Court in no hurry to find new attorney ethics director
With the search underway for only the third director of the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission, one thing seems certain: The court will take its time finding a successor for retired leader G. Michael Witte.
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Articles
David appointed to JLAP committee, others reappointed
After the passing of Senior Judge Marc Kellams, the Indiana Supreme Court has appointed former Indiana Justice Steven David to the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program Committee.
Hanna: From jail to JLAP: A redemption story for the ages
There is nothing more sobering than Christmas in a federal prison. Glimmers of hope can be hard to come by. I first contacted the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program from a federal prison camp in Florida.
Oleksy: Meeting loss and grief with self-compassion, not judgment
Loss is a part of life. Why, then, do we shy away from talking about it?
2 Indy attorneys suspended
Two Indianapolis attorneys have been handed suspensions by the Indiana Supreme Court.
Van der Cruysse: Mental health issues but no insurance: JLAP’s answer
Lawyers and judges suffer from mental health and substance abuse issues at rates well above the U.S. population average, according to a widely published national study the American Bar Association conducted in partnership with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in 2016.
Terrell: Seconds acts for lawyers: Retirement is not always the end
Retiring isn’t necessarily an end. For many lawyers, it is a springboard to a new fulfilling aspect of life — a second act, if you will.
JLAP: ‘Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end’
Change is something that we all navigate, and over the past two years we have all certainly been navigating lots of rapid change collectively. In addition, maybe you, like me, have decided to make some changes in your legal practice. How is your heart feeling as you make these changes?
JLAP: The trap of setting New Year’s resolutions
Depending on whose research you use, between 80% to 92% of New Year’s resolutions fail, and U.S. News & World Report says most lose their resolve by mid-February. JLAP Deputy Director Loretta Oleksy says she doesn’t pretend to have the solution, but if you’re interested in exploring alternatives, she’d love some company along the way.
JLAP: Holiday cheers: One lawyer’s victory over addiction
For one young Indiana attorney, this holiday season is met with more gratitude and thanksgiving than in years past. It will mark year two of victory over a hard-fought battle with addiction.
New members appointed to JLAP committee
Monroe Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff and attorney Katherine Tapp of Kightlinger & Gray are the newest appointments to the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program committee. They will begin their terms Jan. 1, 2022.
JLAP: Supporting members of the practice: JLAP taking DEI action
Since the summer of 2020, the Indiana Supreme Court’s Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program has had many deep discussions about the issues that are affecting people of color and what the program can do to support law students, attorneys and judges of color, as well as others who care about these issues and want to be meaningful and proactive allies.
JLAP: A national report on judicial well-being
Retired Marion County Judge David Shaheed co-authored a groundbreaking national report on the effects of job stress on the judiciary. The report identifies both the sources of stress and strategies for managing it.
Finding solid ground: Young lawyer well-being suffers after 2020
According to Bloomberg Law’s Attorney Workload and Hours report from Q1 of 2021, well-being declined among attorneys, particularly those who have practiced for less than seven years. The study was the second iteration of the Attorney Workload and Hours Survey, which focused on lawyers’ experiences with job satisfaction and well-being in 2020.
JLAP: 2020 hindsight: Finding meaning, lessons
Loretta Oleksy, deputy director of the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, shares the lessons she learned in 2020.
Judicial panel opts not to make sanction recommendations for ex-magistrate banned from bench
The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications is requesting that the law license of a former Hamilton County magistrate busted in a meth sting only be reinstated if he can maintain a sustained recovery and fully comply with the Judges & Lawyers Assistance Program.
Lawyer who sexted client draws 30-day suspension
An Indianapolis attorney will serve a 30-day suspension for sending sexually explicit text messages to a client, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered.
JLAP: Bar application changes promote mental health
When speaking to students at law schools, we repeatedly emphasize that they should never avoid counseling or treatment because they fear it would prevent their admission to the bar. To the contrary, the willingness to seek mental treatment demonstrates that an applicant has the maturity to do the right thing when confronting life’s daily challenges.
Justices move to further discipline ex-Hamilton County judge
A Hamilton County magistrate judge who was removed from the bench after he was convicted of meth possession resulting from a law enforcement sting operation faces additional discipline for an alleged violation of his professional probation.
Justices suspend 2 lawyers for repeat OWI convictions
An attorney from Carmel and one from Connersville have been suspended from the practice of law as a result of convictions for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The lawyers in both cases had prior convictions.