Mental Health and The Practice of Law

Consulting and Speaking

 If you have clicked and scrolled this far, you know what an internet search knows – following a suicide attempt in 2012, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (thus, previously undiagnosed).  Had to take a couple years off for doing some things I shouldn’t have done before being diagnosed, and of course to get “better.”  When I came back, I devoted (and still devote) a significant amount of time to assisting attorneys who may be dealing with the same sort of issues I have dealt (and continue to deal) with. Here’s a sample:

There are plenty of people claiming expertise in this area. I am pretty much the only one who has first hand experience with all aspects of this issue. Proof of concept: I am a sought-after speaker across the profession (judicial groups, bar associations, law schools, continuing education). I’ve published in law reviews, ABA essay collectons and legal news opinion pieces. Don’t just take my word for it. Click the live links to get the full picture.

Georgia Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism:  I had the honor of participating in a panel presentation produced by the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court on the all-too-prevalent issue of attorney suicide. The program, hosted by former Attorney General Sally Yates, was attended by over 1,500 attorneys and others. 

Other Judicial Associations: Georgia Councils of State Court Judges, Probate Court Judges, Local (Magistrate) Court Judges; Statewide Meeting of Judicial Clerks.

State Bar of Georgia.  As a result of State Bar of Georgia General Counsel Paula Frederick identifying Eric Lang’s research as being unique in the area of attorney mental health and the discipline process, Eric was invited as a guest on the Bar’s Lawyers Living Well podcast.  You can hear about that subject and others by checking out the podcast itself.

Law School Presentations

• Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism, Annual Guest, “Inside the Legal Profession,” an award winning program where “distinguished lawyers and judges” are interviewed (live) about professionalism issues for Mercer Law School’s first-year class.
• Speaker, Mercer Law Review 75th Anniversary Symposium.

Podcasts and Online CLE

It’s not just talking.  My words are backed by research and writing.  Again, these items are (with the exception of one self-publication) by invitation, not solicitation:

• I have a well developed philosophy on these issues – no fear, just honesty.  Going Beyond Fear in Addressing Attorney Mental Health culminates a year-long effort to change the well-intentioned (and partially successful) “one size fits all” approach that the legal profession has taken to address mental health issues.  The article urges three things: (a) focusing on things we can change as opposed to things we cannot; (b) drawing lines between appropriate and inappropriate areas of institutional involvement; and (c) distinguishing between the 80 percent of population who do not have potential mental illness issues and the 20 percent who do.  The most novel or even controversial sections of the article reject current conventional wisdom on suicide and depression statistics in the profession.  It is the only article on David Foster Wallace, Pete Davidson, Bill James, the Book of Exodus, a Rolling Stone review of a Supertramp Album, and a Petula Clark song that is not “Downtown.”

• I go beyond the technical to the personal. The American Bar Association’s Woman Advocate Committee recently published Her Story (2): The Resilient Woman Lawyer’s Guide to Conquering Obstacles, a wide ranging collection of essays on the challenges of being a woman practicing law.  Eric Lang was asked to contribute an essay on suicide. Why?  The lead editor explained:  The book contains essays from women lawyers from various backgrounds but also includes a few essays from male lawyers. What was the thinking behind that?  “In some cases, it was because we had a lack of authors on the subject. We tried to get women, for example, on the subject of suicide. It turns out the person who could write the essay for us was a guy, and we thought that was fine.” To read this and other excellent essays, purchase the book on the ABA website.

• I follow, and write about, the ethics rules on these issues.  Mental Heath and the Attorney Discipline Process in the State of Georgia catalogues cases in which lawyers with mental health issues face discipline.
• My opinions on the issue are sought and “printed” by the leading national legal publishers.  Going Beyond Fear is the Next Phase in Addressing Attorney Mental Health, Fulton County Daily Report (ALM); ‘Shame on Us’: Lawyer Hits Hard After Judge’s Suicide; Fulton County Daily Report (ALM).

Bottom Line.  If you want to address this sensitive issue in your firm or department without a lot of consultant-driven buzzwords, and instead want to hear a first hand account, reach out to me.