The practice of law may not be what the an aspiring attorney envisioned. Although, it is a profession that emphasizes zealous advocacy and ethics there is an underlying current that is not known or seen until one has begun to practice. Neither the Bench nor the Bar consistently works with the attorney. The Bench needs to clear its calendar, the Bar association worries about public image to the detrinent of justice and fairness, and the attorney pool frequently steals each other's clients or is generally uncooperative. Rather than working in an environment that is supportive, the attorney is always in a combative roll.
The constant push to meet deadlines, appear before several judges at 9am when none of them are in the same building or county and few entertain the inconvenience of scheduling your case for a later time causes the pressure to build. Whether one is in private practice or an employee of a firm-large or small- the stress of one's caseload, billable hours, deadlines, client needs and wants combines with and amplifies daily life stresses. The attorney as a spouse tries to balance work demands with spousal needs. Both are desirious of the attorney's attention. Add a child and the stress continues to climb. Something gets neglected. One who normally is the "fixer of problems" finds he cannot fix or even recognize his own. Many attorneys are able to juggle for the duration of their career and many more suffer in silence. What happens next may not be a pretty picture. Substance abuse, divorce, and punnishment by suspension and disbarrment may occur. Thus, the attorney, now without an income is expected to continue meeting financial and social obligations. One stripped of family, identity and friends, the bar frowns upon having continued dealings with a suspended or disbarred attorney, is isolated. Feeling shamed and abandoned, he or she is expected to find the answer and help himself. Although there are programs to help attorneys, some are costly or time limited. Many fear the stigma of seeking treatment. The article that follows further exemplifies the growing problem within the legal profession. Hopefully, awareness will help those in distress seek counseling. It may be a difference between life or death. Here is an article recently published that may be of further interest" The Lawyer, the Addict high-powered Silicon Valley attorney dies. His ex-wife investigates, and finds a web of drug abuse in his profession.By EILENE ZIMMERMAN JULY 15, 2017Main Menu The New York TimesSearch
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AuthorCathy Cosentino, MA, LMFTA Archives
March 2018
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