Coronavirus and Your Mental Health: A Lawyer’s Guide to Coping with Isolation, Anxiety and Fear in Uncertain Times

Presented by Brian S. Quinn, Esquire – Education and Outreach Coordinator, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of PA, Inc.

This CLE will address recent studies that show a dramatic increase in impairment due to alcoholism, addiction and mental health disorders among members of the legal profession and how these issues have been impacted by COVID-19. The statistics are compelling and clearly indicate that one out of three attorneys will have a need for substance use or mental health services at some point in their careers. Topics will include:

• The prevalence rates of impairment in the legal profession due to substance use and mental health issues.
• Causes and symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety.
• The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on mental health issues and the role isolation plays.
• Fear associated with the uncertainty surrounding the future of the legal industry.
• Wellbeing strategies to reduce or alleviate these conditions.
• Ethical dilemmas created by the Coronavirus crisis, including remote supervision of attorneys and staff, record and timekeeping, data security and confidentiality in the remote office setting.
• The early warning signs of impairment in both office and personal settings.
• Why legal professionals are at higher risk to develop mental health and substance use disorders
• Challenges and barriers keeping legal professionals from seeking help.
• The free, confidential services provided by Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers to lawyers, their family members, judges and law students.
• The role that education plays in breaking the stigma and fear associated with addiction and mental illness in the legal profession.
• Resources available to both lawyers and support staff with emphasis on COVID-19 issues

This complimentary program will qualify for one hour of PA CLE ethics credit.

Please register here to access this Zoom webinar

Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance Program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders. He was a private practitioner for over 40 years and worked in the field of Alcohol and Drug Counseling in suburban Philadelphia.