JLAP: In my ‘grief era’: Doing the ‘heart work’ of grief
It’s impossible for me to forget June 26, 2003, a day that marks more than a cruel summer.
wellness
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Blurred lines: Study finds lawyers want more flexibility, but remote work creating imbalances
Earlier this month, Clio released its 2022 Legal Trends Report. What the study found is remote work “has brought new opportunities for flexibility, but has also contributed to the breakdown of work-life balance.”
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Work in progress: Juvenile justice mental health, safety concerns addressed in new law
Concerns about the safety and well-being of Hoosier youth housed in juvenile justice facilities across the state have drawn attention from the U.S. Department of Justice on multiple occasions. Action was taken to remedy those concerns, but the root of the problem facing Indiana’s juvenile justice system is still wound in a tangled mess that lawmakers and juvenile advocates are trying to unravel.
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Web Exclusive: Indiana Legal Services wellness program finding success, gaining attention
What started as a short-term solution for improving employee mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic has now turned into a full-fledged initiative at Indiana Legal Services.
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Evansville attorney helps women engage in community through virtual nonprofit
Fulfilling a lifelong dream can be daunting, even unattainable. It can take years before someone takes steps toward fulfilling a goal set for themselves. But a young Evansville attorney is breaking walls and building new dreams daily, balancing both a legal practice and a female-focused not-for-profit organization.
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Articles
Darnell and Harrell: Promoting social connection at work: What employers can do
Many employers have had success with retaining employees by focusing on supporting employee well-being.
Kelly: Law student experience: Today’s students paint new picture
Research by Lawrence Krieger tells us that law students start law school with high life satisfaction and strong mental health measures, but within the first year of law school, they experience a significant increase in anxiety and depression.
APABA-IN hosting Lunar New Year CLE with sessions on wellness, former fertility doctor Cline
The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana is hosting a continuing legal education event this week with sessions on disgraced fertility specialist Donald Cline and on how to think slowly while maintaining a fast-paced life.
IndyBar: President’s Message: The Most Wonderful (aka insane) Time of the Year
IndyBar President Judge Alicia Gooden offers “12 Days of Wellness” to consider during the holiday season.
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?
IndyBar: President’s Message: Stop the Negativity!!
Having a more uplifting mindset can pave the way for improved mental and physical health and impact our daily work and our relationships in a positive way.
Breaking down to break through: Judges share how they cope with emotional, traumatic exposure
The American Bar Association’s 2020 National Judicial Stress and Resiliency Survey of more than 1,000 judges nationwide, including Hoosier judges, revealed new data about what stressors judges face, how those stressors affect them personally and strategies the judiciary can use to mitigate them.
Talking honestly: New managing partner at Dentons’ Evansville office focused on well-being
Trisha Dudlo wants to have frank discussions. The 37-year-old is the new managing partner of Denton Bingham Greenebaum’s Evansville office and the first woman of color to hold that leadership position. Named the office chief in April, Dudlo is stepping into her role at the same time as she sees the legal profession rebuilding from the upheaval created by the pandemic and consequently having to do things “alarmingly different.”
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?
IndyBar: President’s Message: Your Wellness Should Be Your Priority
Research demonstrates that practicing mindful behavior can improve your mental and physical health by reducing chronic pain, lowering blood pressure, and combatting depression and anxiety.
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: 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.
JLAP: The promise of self-compassion
Lawyer Jill Carnell invites you to try the practice of self-compassion because it can make you a better lawyer by helping you to more easily “reset” when you find yourself in an emotionally or physically painful situation.
JLAP: Lawyers benefit from holistic wellness programs
Before the pandemic, large law firms and legal departments in Indiana were among 187 signatories around the country who pledged to encourage attorneys to focus on wellness and wellbeing as part of an American Bar Association initiative. Since March, some of the programs have added or adapted programming to virtual programs, including yoga and meditation.
Web exclusive: Judges, lawyers invest time in hobbies under stay-at-home orders
Extra hours away from the outside world because of stay-at-home orders offered Indiana’s judges and attorneys at least one positive thing during the coronavirus-pandemic – time. Whether spending time with family or using quiet moments of solitude to revive rusty creative skills, many legal professionals are finding the joy and peace of everyday tasks in the midst of uncertain times.
JLAP: Indiana’s chief justice champions lawyer well-being
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush staunchly supports and promotes well-being in the legal profession. When she talks to Indiana judges, lawyers and law students, Rush frequently mentions the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. During her State of the Judiciary speech in January, the first topic Rush mentioned was Indiana’s problem-solving courts, which focus on issues including drugs and mental health.
New lawyers get by with a little help from family, friends
The support of family and friends for students in law school is not only common for most law students, but also necessary. Law professors and counselors say students need a supportive network to rely on inside and outside of law school to help them master the material, tamp down any discouragement or despair and ultimately become successful attorneys with good mental health.
JLAP: Lawyer well-being movement is no laughing matter
When my colleagues first expressed a vision for healthier lawyers — not merely helping those already struggling with addiction and mental health diagnoses, but helping all lawyers to thrive — some laughed. Someone even suggested to me that the title for a presentation I was giving should be “Is Lawyer Well-Being an Oxymoron?”