Posted under Attorneys

Addiction Takes a Heavy Toll on the Legal Profession

By Meghan Vivo, JD

Legal professionals struggle with addiction at double the rate of individuals in other professions. If you know a lawyer or judge – or have watched enough crime dramas on television – you can understand why.

Stress

The simple answer is the stress of the profession, according to Hon. Sarah L. Krauss, a New York City Civil Court and Kings County Family Court judge and chair of the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP).

“There is an enormous amount of stress that goes along with dealing with other people’s problems day after day,” says Judge Krauss. “People often cope with stress by using drugs or alcohol, which very often leads to addiction.”

Lawyers and judges typically work 80-plus hours per week with minimal breaks or vacations. Those long hours are driven by strict deadlines, heavy caseloads and growing competition for clients.

According to CoLAP, “Because many lawyers and judges are overachievers who carry an enormous workload, the tendency to ‘escape’ from daily problems through the use of drugs and alcohol is prevalent in the legal community.”

Vicarious Trauma

While many professions are under significant pressures, lawyers and judges are also subject to vicarious trauma, notes Judge Krauss. Also known as “secondary traumatic stress” or “compassion fatigue,” vicarious trauma has been defined as the “the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person.”

On a daily basis, legal professionals face the problems of their clients as if they were their own. In studies, attorneys have reported becoming over-extended and burnt out as a result of making themselves available to clients after hours and assisting them in many areas of their lives. Complicating matters, legal professionals have few healthy outlets of their own to express feelings and recharge, driving many to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Adversarial Nature of Legal Work

Hon. Robert L. Childers, a judge in the Circuit Court of Tennessee and long-time member and past chair of CoLAP, points to the adversarial nature of the legal profession as a major contributor to substance abuse and mental illness.

“Unlike other professions where members work together to find solutions, lawyers are constantly fighting each other,” he explains. “The heightened stress becomes a way of life for lawyers – one that rarely gets counterbalanced with time for self, family, exercise, spirituality or social support.”

Ethical Compromises

Whether fueled by a desire to win a big case, pressure from a client or a need to attract more business, some attorneys compromise their ethical principles and moral values over the course of their career. Stress turned inward, warns Judge Childers, often results in health problems, depression and addiction.

“In some ways, the legal profession has become more of a business and less of a profession,” says Judge Childers. “There are lawyers who cut corners and do things that are against normal ethical or moral standards. Then when the guilt and shame build up, they try to bury those feelings with drugs or alcohol.”

Help Is Available for Addicted Attorneys

Impaired legal professionals do not have to choose between their careers and their health. There are many ways to reach out for help. The best place to start, say Judges Childers and Krauss, is calling the state lawyer assistance program (or a volunteer program like Lawyers Helping Lawyers if your state does not have a LAP).

Almost every state offers a lawyer assistance program that can assist with interventions and refer an attorney or judge to an appropriate drug rehab program. LAPs are free and confidential, and are not tied to any disciplinary committee. While compliance with the LAP’s recommendations is voluntary, many lawyers and judges will agree to enter treatment when their career is on the line.

In addition to LAPs, impaired professionals and concerned colleagues can speak with an addictions counselor, attend a local Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous 12-Step meeting, or call an addiction treatment center. There are highly effective drug rehabilitation programs designed specifically for professionals that can assist with interventions, assessments, short- or long-term treatment, and monitoring and aftercare.

“If someone recognizes the signs of addiction in a lawyer or judge, they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out for help,” Judge Childers advises. “Over the course of my career, I’ve known countless professionals who have gone through treatment, saved their practices and earned back their licenses to become happier and more successful than ever.”