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VSB Publishes Report on Lawyer Well-Being

June 5, 2019

Recently, the Virginia State Bar published a report entitled “The Occupational Risks of the Practice of Law” written by the President’s Special Committee on Lawyer Well-Being, chaired by VSB President Len Heath. Sensei’s Sharon Nelson was a member of that committee.

Excerpt: To be a good lawyer, one has to be a healthy lawyer. Sadly, our profession is falling short when it comes to well-being. The two studies referenced above reveal that too many lawyers and law students experience chronic stress and high rates of depression and substance use. These findings are incompatible with a sustainable legal profession, and they raise troubling implications for many lawyer’ basic competence. This research suggests that the current state of lawyers’ health cannot support a profession dedicated to client service and dependent on the public trust.

Read the entire report here.