Attorney Well Being

Well-Being Resources

Attorney well-being is a critical component of our duty to represent our clients with competence. Recent studies showing high levels of depression and substance abuse among lawyers compel an increased awareness of, and focus on, wellness for attorneys. Fortunately, with this awareness has come a wealth of resources to assist attorneys with various aspects of their well-being and to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues. The VBA provides quality wellness programming throughout the year to satisfy Vermont’s required 1.0 MCLE credit per reporting period of wellness programming.

The Vermont Commission on the Well-Being of the Legal Profession (CWBLP) is pleased to recommend the following resources from Vermont and beyond to all members of the legal community, including lawyers, judges, law students, paralegals, legal assistants and court personnel. This page is designed to be continually updated; please contact info@vtbar.org with “CWBLP” in the subject line if you have any suggestions for additions. We appreciate your help with promoting well-being in our legal community!

Resources in General

• VT Bar Assistance Program  (802-859-3004 or michael.kennedy@vermont.gov)

• Vermont Commission on the Well Being of the Legal Profession State Action Plan
• Vermont Lawyers Assistance Program: 1-802-355-4352
• HELP: Wellness & Well-Being Resources (from Vermont Bar Counsel’s Ethical Grounds Blog)
• Report of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being

Resources for Legal Employers

• Vermont Department of Health’s Worksite Wellness Toolkit
• ABA’s Well-Being Toolkit for Lawyers and Legal Professionals
• Institute for Well-Being in Law (Also Lawyer Well-Being Week)
• 12 Programs Law Firms Can Implement to Enhance Employee Wellness (from Above the Law)
• Operationalizing Well Being (Reference ABA Working Group’s 7-Point Pledge, from The Practice)
• Incentives for Workplace Wellness Programs (State Bar of WI)

Resources for Judicial Officers

• National Helpline for Judges Helping Judges (1-800-219-6474)
• Judges Helping Judges Resource Guide from the ABA
• Early Warning Signs of Judicial Burnout Checkup (from the Missouri Bar Bulletin)
• A Wellness Guide for Judges (ABA, from the 9th Cir.)
• Warning Signs in the Courtroom: What They May Signify (Texas Bar Association)
• Judges and Secondary Traumatic Distress: What to Do About It (Ohio LAP)
• Isolation in the Judicial Career (AJA)
• Stress and Resiliency in the US Judiciary (ABA)

Resources for Law Students

• How to Deal with Law School Stress in Healthy Ways (from the ABA)
• Clara Martin Center (VT/local)
• Substance Use and Mental Health Toolkit for Law School Students and Those Who Care About Them (from the ABA)
• Dealing with Bar Exam Stress and Anxiety (from Ms. JD blog)
• Suffering in Silence: The Survey of Law Student Well-Being (Association of American Law Schools)

Resources for Paralegals and Office Assistants

• The Hidden Cost of Empathy: How to Address Secondary Trauma Stress in a Child Law Office (from the ABA)
• The Paralegal Corner: Maintaining Your Personal Well-Being During Rapidly Changing Times (from paralegals.org)
• A Paralegal’s Guide to Work-Life Balance (from Agile Law)
• The Paralegal Corner: Time-Out isn’t just for Kids Anymore (from paralegals.org)

Resources Regarding Secondary Trauma

• Secondary Traumatic Stress and Family Lawyers (Family Lawyer Magazine)
• Secondary or Vicarious Trauma Among Judges and Court Personnel (Trends in State Courts)
• Who’s Taking Care of the Jurors–Helping Jurors after Traumatic Trials (US Courts)
• Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals (NCTSN)

General COVID-19 Well-Being Resources

Please visit our home page updates for current and Vermont-specific COVID-19 Resources, including updates on Orders, Rules, Statutes and Guidance from Vermont and beyond.

• Coping with Stress (from the CDC’s COVID-19 Health page)
• Coping with Coronavirus-Related Stress (from Vt Bar Counsel’s Ethical Grounds blog)
• COVID-19 and Emotional Well-Being (Gallagher Better Works/ABA)
• ABA’s COVID-19 Mental Health Resources Page