Suicide In The Legal Profession Is All 'Too Common' A Story

Mental health in Biglaw is something everyone needs to care about.

onJanuary 13, 2020 at 1:52 PMJanuary 13, 2020 at 9:12 AM

Ian was no different from you—a brilliant, driven, professional struggling internally to meet the demands of work he loved and feeling unable to seek help because of intense fear around the stigma of mild mental health issues and diabetes. His story is also not too different from that of countless men (mostly) and women in the law who have also taken their own lives. He was coping reasonably well until suddenly he wasn’t, and it was too late. This “he just snapped” phenomenon is all too common, and I promise that you are not immune to it.

—Dr. Marny Morrison Turvill, widow of legal marketer Ian Turvill who died by suicide two years ago, writing for Law.com about her husband’s mental health issues that led to his death. She says that the culture at Biglaw firms can prevent folks who need help from seeking it. Turvill also says a change in paradigms in the understanding of mental health is necessary to truly address the problem.

If you or someone you know is depressed and in need help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) or a lawyer assistance program in your state

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headshot Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).