The topic of mental health and substance abuse in the legal industry is getting some much-needed light…. However, in an industry where the professional staff are still often referred to as “non-lawyers” or simply “staff,” it should not be a surprise that the professional staff are often left out of this growing movement, nor should it be that they have fewer resources available to them from the law firms when it comes to mental health and substance abuse.
— Erin Hichman, a senior analyst with ALM Legal Intelligence, commenting on the lack of wellness initiatives, resources, and support that are targeted toward law firm staff members. As Kathleen Pearson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Pillsbury notes, “regardless of a person’s particular role, they are inevitably going to experience some stress, whether professional or personal.” Hichman offers advice from industry experts on the steps law firm leaders should take to make sure their firm is a “more pleasant working environment for all.”
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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.