The legal profession is one of the most stressed groups of professionals. The stress starts with law school and continues into practice. A study by Davenee Foundation on Lawyers & Depression shows how serious an issue this is. It states that attorneys rank 5th in an incidents of suicide by occupation.
The American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates voted to approve changes to the model rules requiring that attorneys complete one hour of substance abuse and mental health education every 3 years. Currently only California, Nevada, North Carolina and South Carolina require CLE credits for substance abuse and mental health. The intent is for states to incorporate these requirements into their CLE programs. The hope is that states will provide additional resources to attorneys that are dealing with depression, anxiety and/or substance abuse issues.
Many attorney malpractice claims stem in one way or another from stress or substance abuse. Some of the most serious problems morph into multiple claims with disciplinary actions, suspensions and/or disbarment. So if you or you know of an attorney that has a depression problem make sure that you or they get the help needed.