An IP Inclusive and CIPA webinar
on stress, depression, addiction and burn-out in legal professions
Our presenter
Brian S. Quinn, Esquire – Education and Outreach Coordinator, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of PA, Inc.
Our topic
Based on a very personal story about the problems that stress can cause for a busy legal professional, Brian talked about the importance of recognising and responding to the early signs of mental health problems.
This webinar touched on Brian’s work with the US legal profession, but nevertheless tackled issues that are common to all of us who operate in high-stress environments. It looked particularly at:
- The early warning signs of depression, stress and burn-out as well as alcoholism and other forms of dependency;
- How to get appropriate help before things get out of hand;
- What barriers prevent legal professionals from seeking the help they so desperately need, or from providing it to colleagues;
- The role of education in breaking the stigma and fear associated with addiction and mental illness in the legal professions; and
- How best to approach a person you think is struggling.
These are topics that matter to all of us as individuals, to our colleagues, and (for employers and managers) to the teams whose wellbeing we need to safeguard.
We included information about the help available from LawCare for UK-based IP professionals. The webinar was chaired by LawCare Champion and IP Inclusive Lead Executive Officer Andrea Brewster OBE.
Follow-up resources
This webinar was a joint project between IP Inclusive and CIPA. You can access a recording of it here, and Brian Quinn’s slides here. The slides have been supplemented with additional material about “enabling”, in response to a question raised at the end of the presentation.