Deaths, Suicide

Baker & Hostetler Partner Commits Suicide

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John Mason Mings, an IP partner in the Houston office of Baker & Hostetler, committed suicide on Monday. AmLaw Daily reports on the 45-year-old lawyer’s death:

Witnesses observed Mings sitting by himself on the waters edge early Monday afternoon. Police called to the scene found Mings laying partially in the water, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head.

His firm bio remains available, though it includes an “In Memoriam” message. The Duke Law grad had formerly been a partner at Fulbright & Jaworski, before joining Baker in December 2008.
As AmLaw Daily notes, depression is a serious problem for lawyers:

A recent study found that depression among attorneys is on the rise, coinciding with increasingly bleak economic forecasts.
One expert has claimed that the typical personality traits and training of lawyers often prevents them from seeking treatment for emotional problems and substance abuse, which in turn leads to higher rates of depression in the profession. The American Bar Association has found that suicide among lawyers occurs two to six times more than among the general population.

Another recent suicide led the WSJ Law Blog to write a post today on technology, social isolation, and suicide.


We have had to use the suicide tag on far too many posts here at Above the Law over the last year. Earlier this month, Julie Timmerman, 26, a Nova Southeastern University law student and former clerk to Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein, committed suicide. Last month, Connecticut attorney James Ripper, 64, hanged himself, leading Ashby Jones of the WSJ to write about social isolation increasing depression among lawyers:

According to Udy, the profession is increasingly becoming isolating, partly because of technology. “Unless you attend court on a regular basis or participate in bar association events, you no longer interact face-to-face with your fellow attorneys. Instead, face-to-face has given way to Facebook, list servers, e-mail, text messaging and sometimes the antiquated telephone.”

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Our condolences go out to the affected families.
Suicide Victim a Baker & Hostetler Partner [AmLaw Daily]
On the Isolation of Legal Practice and Suicide [WSJ Law Blog]
Former RRA Law Clerk Takes Own Life [Broward Palm Beach News]

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