Legal professionals face unique challenges in managing stress, uncertainty and the relentless demands of the practice.
To help attorneys practice better time management and work-life balance in today’s fast-paced legal environment, the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Lawyer Well-being Committee presented a special program on how to cultivate a more balanced, fulfilling legal career. The program featured New Jersey trial lawyer and TedX speaker David J. Bruno, who spoke about how his career as former Morris County prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and national TV legal analyst shaped his approach to wellness.
Bruno pointed to a wellness survey circulated by the NJSBA that uncovered a troubling decline in mental health and wellness among New Jersey’s legal practitioners. Among the 1,643 respondents, more than half reported chronic feelings of anxiousness, burnout, alcohol misuse and disillusionment with being a lawyer.
There are many reasons attorneys feel unwell, according to Bruno. The law is one of the few professions where the practitioners can become emotionally invested in their clients’ problems and experience vicarious trauma. By nature, practicing law is an adversarial process that places constant pressure on attorneys, who are often pitted against each other to defend their clients. Additionally, technology has made the pace of practice unsustainable, with clients wanting 24/7 access to their lawyers.
Bruno advised that attorneys can achieve better balance by staying on the “rails” or goals that create foundations and structure in life. They include:
Relationships – Finding the people in life who form your inner circle and nurturing those relationships. Building a personal and professional community by volunteering locally or going to bar events.
Body – Practicing self-care to have enough energy for your family, friends and clients. Start by eating well, exercising, stretching and meditating. Journaling briefly at night is also a productive way to reflect on the day and decompress.
Faith – Not necessarily religion, but embracing the principle of serving others and having a set of standards and values that create hope and optimism for the future.
For any NJSBA member in need of mental health and wellness support, the Member Assistance Program is on call 24 hours a day at 1-800-531-0200 to connect you with a counselor or library of wellness resources. In the last six months alone, the service has received more than 3,000 phone calls from members and their dependents for issues ranging from anxiety and depression to substance. The practice of law is a demanding profession that can weigh heavily on your mental health and well-being. It’s never too early or too late to seek help.