Lawyer Support Group in Boston Sees Sharp Rise in Lawyers Seeking Help to Battle Depression

The Boston-based Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers ("LCL") was founded as a support group for attorneys with drinking problems.  Now, the group reports, attorneys and other legal professionals contact LCL mainly for help battling depression.

According to an article in the online edition of the Boston Globe, the "shift mirrors a trend at lawyer assistance programs across the country, and reinforces state and national studies showing that lawyers are more depressed than those in any other occupation."

Key factors cited in the rise of depression among lawyers:

• heavy law school debt frequently forces graduates into high-paying jobs at private firms, where intense deadlines, staggering billable-hour requirements, and grinding hours are routine
• the conflict-driven nature of the profession
• traditional legal training that conditions lawyers to be emotionally withdrawn
• the personality type frequently drawn to the law -- perfectionist, high-achieving -- is particularly vulnerable to becoming depressed

See the full Boston Globe article here.

For those lawyers who feel they need help, the ABA offers a directory of Lawyer Assistance Programs around the country, as well as other resources.