The Path to Attorney Wellness

12:00 p.m. Introduction
12:05 p.m. What is TYLA? – Laura Pratt
12:15 p.m. Compassion Fatigue Awareness with TLAP
1:10 p.m. Break
1:20 p.m. Breaking the Silence/Breaking the Stigma - Panel on Attorney Wellness
2:00 p.m. Relaxation Exercise with Mindfulness Training
2:30 p.m. Break
2:40 p.m. Health Habits for Professionals – Panel Discussion
3:10 p.m. Lawyers as Lifeguards with SBOT
4:00 p.m. Dismissal

Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Texas lawyers must provide “competent and diligent representation.” And “an incompetent lawyer is subject to discipline.” Moreover, lawyers have an obligation to decline representation of clients if “the lawyer’s physical, mental, or psychological condition materially impairs the lawyer’s fitness to represent the client.” Significantly, “one author suggests that 40 to 70 percent of disciplinary proceedings and malpractice claims against lawyers involve substance use or depression, and often both.” The reason for this is that depression and substance abuse—or other mental impairments—can result in diminished mental capacity, which can affect many of the skills necessary to be a competent advocate for clients. Simply put, “awyer well-being is part of a lawyer’s ethical duty of competence.” Thus, attorneys must be aware of and focus on their mental health to meet their ethical obligations to their clients in this profession. This CLE presentation will focus on the attorney mental health crisis and offer tips for attorneys to obtain and maintain attorney wellness in their practice.