Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Join attorneys Becky Howlett and Cindy Sharp as they present strategies designed to help attorneys manage and even unplug from the digital world — ethically and mindfully — with special emphasis on MRPC 1.1, comment 8 (“benefits and risks associated with relevant technology”); MRPC 1.6, confidentiality; MRPC 1.3, diligence; and MRPC 8.4, professional misconduct.

Jonathan Wier, of the ARDC, summarizes some of their latest reports and statistics, then discusses mental health and attorney wellness issues.

Learn how to address the mental health challenges of the legal profession that drain lawyers’ energy, lead to harmful coping strategies, and stand in the way of their own success and happiness as professionals, community participants, and family members.

Recognizing the demanding nature of the legal profession, this session provides proven techniques for eliminating toxic stress, balancing personal and professional priorities, and encouraging peak performance. This program educates legal professionals on the impact toxic stress has on the body and brain - resulting in detrimental consequences to health, wellness and job performance. It then provides participants with evidence-based strategies to lower stress, build resilience and thrive in their personal and professional lives.

Learn how to be an advocate for survivors of domestic violence. Survivors of abuse may have special needs and concerns while working their way through the legal system. Without an advocate who understands these needs, they may not feel safe turning to the court for help and the cycle of abuse will continue. After this session, attendees will better understand how to help domestic violence survivors navigate through the court setting.

Review recent ARDC Annual Report statistics on mental health and attorney wellness. Tips will be presented for practicing law and self-care and for dealing with stress and depression. The role of colleagues, peers, mentors and of attorney regulation will be discussed as a way of providing meaningful help.

Conflicts of Interest: Mindset vs. Reality

This workshop focuses on the interplay between a lawyer’s mindset and the risk of ethical liabilities in the practice of law. Using neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and psychology you will learn how training the brain to be more mindful and less reactive serves as a protective measure against potential conflicts of interest and decreases the risk of developing conflicts of interest.

In this eye-opening program, veteran attorney Cindy Sharp will share her struggles with alcohol and reveal how she got sober and has remained alcohol free for over eleven years. Attorney and certified contemplative practices teacher Becky Howlett will share her perspectives on the issues and provide practical tips for reducing stress and anxiety.

Not included in IICLE® Online All-Access subscription.

Join Cindy Sharp and Becky Howlett for this timely educational webinar as they explore secondary trauma. Case studies of legal professionals who have experienced the adverse effects of vicarious trauma are included throughout the presentation. They will discuss the concept of a trauma informed law practice and provide tips on how to establish one.

Not included in IICLE® Online All-Access subscription.

Join Attorneys Becky Howlett and Cynthia Sharp for this timely webinar as they explore the prevalence of mental health concerns and burnout in the legal profession and strategies to manage and prevent these issues. Becky and Cindy each share their own personal stories and reveal how they overcame adversity.

Not included in IICLE® Online All-Access subscription.

NOTE: This content was previously part of the 9th Annual Local Government Law Institute. According to MCLE guidelines, this content can only be viewed once per reporting period for CLE credit.

Optimize your legal mindset to decrease conflict and positively influence the practice of law at the IICLE® Ethics Institute. Increase the civility of your practice with practical tips from the ARDC; learn the history of legal discrimination and how to eliminate it; and discover techniques to better represent people with disabilities and other typically underrepresented clients. Maximize your technological competence by learning about blockchain technology beyond just cryptocurrencies.

Earn as many (or as few) professional responsibility credits as you need as the end of the reporting period nears!

Certified Meditation Instructor and Attorney Becky Howlett will teach and lead mindfulness practices throughout this session designed to promote awareness of your own biases. Co-Presenter and Veteran Attorney Cynthia Sharp will join with Becky in sharing their own perspectives as well as viewpoints and experiences of others in the legal community. The speakers will delve into why words DO matter and discuss commonly held harmful assumptions related to diverse groups of people.

Not included in IICLE® Online All-Access subscription.