Hoosier law students shuttered indoors amidst calls to stay at home in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can still find comfort and support through weekly virtual meetings hosted by the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program.
Replacements have been selected to fill upcoming vacancies on the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program Advisory Committee, the Indiana Supreme Court has announced.
Law students, lawyers, judges, and members of the legal realm are no more immune to grief and loss than the next person; it does not discriminate.
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law students headed to the library for final exam cramming were met with a pleasant surprise Wednesday when several furry, four-footed friends greeted them at the door.
An Indianapolis attorney who violated the terms of her Supreme Court-imposed probation must now serve the full length of her suspended discipline after failing to comply with her Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program monitoring agreement.
The Indiana Supreme Court yanked a Lake Superior Court judge from the Nov. 6 retention ballot following his retirement announcement Friday that came after the court’s office of judicial administration requested a new judge be appointed due to alleged dereliction of duty.
Legal employers interested in helping colleagues impaired by issues such as substance abuse, depression or cognitive degeneration now have a versatile toolkit they can customize to meet the needs of their attorney and the organization.
An Indianapolis attorney who was recently diagnosed with a mental health condition has been suspended from the practice of law and must participate in recovery services with the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program.
Their stories are as varied as the lawyers and judges they help. JLAP volunteers are like a baseball team: there are specialists and there are utility players. What they all share is a desire to help and a willingness to listen.
Practicing law is stressful. Stress breeds anxiety, depression, problem drinking and other challenges to being a well-adjusted, successful lawyer. Help can come from many areas, such as friends, family and medical professionals. An American Bar Association-backed task force report recommends law firms should be squarely in this remedial mix.
I know that there are several members of our legal community who have experienced the loss of a loved one or cherished colleague and for whom the upcoming holiday season will be different and difficult. Loretta Oleksy, Deputy Director of the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP), has useful advice to share.
A major barrier to getting help for substance abuse and mental health issues is often not a matter of resources, but rather the stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse issues and concerns about confidentiality.
In an effort to reverse a trend toward increasing mental health and addiction issues among legal professionals, several national lawyer well-being groups have partnered together to release a new report, which offers recommendations for both preventing and treating lapses in attorneys’ mental health.
The intent of law schools is to prepare students to become lawyers who know when and where to seek help when they deal with professional and personal stressors, mental health issues, or substance abuse issues. JLAP has partnered with the Indiana law schools to help fulfill these needs.
Read a first-person account about one lawyer’s struggle with alcohol addiction and help received through JLAP.
The careers and lives of judges, lawyers and law students can be jeopardized by mental health issues, chemical dependency and other debilitating conditions. These threats to legal professionals’ well-being come in many different forms. Fortunately, so do treatment options.
Stresses from school and adapting to one's first legal job can lead to poor health and self-medicating, but confidential assistance is available.
Indiana University Maurer School of Law professor Inge Van der Cruysse has been appointed to the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program Committee, the Indiana Supreme Court announced in an order this week.
An Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law professor has been featured in an American Bar Association video aimed at encouraging law students suffering from addiction to seek help.
The third time wasn’t the charm for a Kansas attorney who wanted the U.S. Supreme Court to take his lawsuit challenging Indiana’s decision to not admit him to practice. The nation’s highest court denied his writ for certiorari for the third time Tuesday.