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NJLAP On Lawyer Happiness
By
NJSBA Staff
posted
07-08-2020 10:35 AM
0
Recommend
The following is written by Noreen Braman,
Communications & Technology Manager for the New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program, and was published as part of NJLAP's Lawyer Well-Being Newsletter. To have the newsletter come directly to your in-box, request to subscribe by emailing
[email protected]
.
Definition of
happiness
:
1a : a state of well-being and contentment : joy
A
CNBC article
published on August 16, 2019 named three top things to be avoided in order to be happy.
They are:
Don’t retire early
Don’t own a home
Don’t be a lawyer
The article cites a
Johns Hopkins
study from 1990, as well as the
2016 ABA lawyer well-being study
– both of which talk about depression. The 2016 study also looks at substance abuse levels in attorneys. The article does not, however, cite any study of lawyer happiness,
per se
, or rank or compare lawyers to other professions with members that struggle with depression.
So, let’s not jump to the conclusion that being a lawyer is synonymous with being unhappy.
However, “happiness” is an important component of
Lawyer Well-Being
, creating a kind of chicken and egg dilemma:
Are lawyers happy because they have well-being, or do lawyers have well-being because they are happy?
The answer is,
yes, and yes
.
For self-guided well-being education, a good starting point is with
The Path to Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change
and the
Lawyer Well-Being Toolkit
, both produced by the ABA in response to the 2016 Study. Both are available on NJLAP's website at:
http://www.njlap.org/NJLAP-Home/Lawyer-Studies
Another study, from 2015, is
“
What Makes Lawyers Happy? A Data driven Prescription to Redefine Professional Success
.”
Below is also a list of shorter articles presenting lots of perspectives and suggestions. By no means are you expected to tackle every modality, read every book, or embrace every suggested lifestyle change.
Look for something that speaks to you.
And, as always, your Lawyers Assistance Program is here to help you achieve and maintain well-being, at
www.NJLAP.org
, or 800-246-5527.
Remember, no matter what the problem, you need not manage alone.
Some more reading on Lawyers and Happiness
https://www.lclma.org/2020/01/03/happiness-basics-for-lawyers-law-students-positive-psychology-values-self-care-and-more/
https://attorneyatlawmagazine.com/becoming-happy-lawyer
https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2020/03/10/for-women-lawyers-marriage-sucks/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauladavislaack/2017/12/19/what-makes-lawyers-happy-its-not-what-you-think/#6897e01517e5
https://www.rocketmatter.com/attorney-wellness/commandments-for-lawyers-how-to-make-2019-your-happiest-year-yet/
h
ttps://news.gsu.edu/2018/02/02/what-makes-lawyers-happy/
https://www.lextalk.com/b/lextalk_blog/archive/2017/05/22/women-lawyers-is-your-happiness-negotiable.aspx
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