|
|
|
|
|
Lawyers Concerned
for Lawyers: Friends in Deed We work in a stressful profession. Deadlines constantly loom, our clients’ futures
are often at stake, and we maintain high professional standards. Even before entering the profession of law,
we faced the unpleasantness of the Socratic method, dealt with difficult
and high-pressure law exams, and, of course, conquered the dreaded
bar exam. While such stress is not necessarily negative,
all of us have known times in our careers when it’s been challenging
to handle. Stress in Action Everyone handles stress differently, and some stresses are
more easily borne than others. I
recall a member of our profession whom I was honored to call a friend
when I was but a high school student.
He was a wounded veteran of World War II, having survived the
Battle of the Bulge. Whether due to this stress or multiple stresses,
he became an avid tennis player and approached life with a philosophy
that seemed to say “live for today and forget tomorrow.” His lake home was close to my parents’, and
as I grew up I was struck by the intensity with which he embraced
life. On the Fourth of July he would sound reveille
for the lakeshore residents, take to a small boat accompanied by his
friend, a veteran of Guadalcanal, and together they would cruise up
and down the shoreline with a 10 h.p. Johnson, waving the American
flag and loudly declaring life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
During summer weekends as a high school student, I was selected
as his doubles tennis partner. He
insisted on practice times at 6:00 Saturday mornings and would enter
us in local lake tournaments. We
always lost, but he never gave up his Bobby Riggs’ style. The bottom line was that we played for the day
and struck terror in our opponents because there was nothing left
but for that time and place. Friends in Need Given this background, it may not surprise you to learn that
my friend later became one of the founding members of Lawyers Concerned
for Lawyers (LCL), an organization launched in Minnesota 30 years
ago by lawyers recovering from alcoholism who banded together to reach
out to other chemically dependent lawyers.
The year was 1976. California
Judge Leon Emerson, who had attempted without success to implement
his idea for the organization in his home state, found a receptive
audience in 13 Minnesota lawyers and judges who gathered to hear him
speak in July of that year. The founders of LCL recognized that the disease of alcoholism
causes some unique problems for those engaging in the legal profession.
Because attorneys handle matters of great significance to many
people, all of whom could suffer if the attorney’s disease went untreated,
Judge Emerson urged that it was vital to create a program that catered
specifically to recovering members of the legal community.
LCL was thus founded both for the sake of recovering attorneys
and for the sake of their clients. In 1999, the Minnesota State Bar Association, in conjunction
with LCL, petitioned the Supreme Court to establish a Lawyers Assistance
Program to address a broad range of mental health problems faced by
members of the legal profession. LCL
was selected in 2001 to fill this role, and expanded its professional
and peer assistance program to address a broader range of issues.
Thus strengthened by funding from the Court, LCL now offers
confidential assistance to members of the legal community suffering
from any addiction, depression, or mental illness as well as any other
condition that negatively affects the person’s home or work life,
including financial issues. Not only lawyers, but all members of the legal community including
judges, law students and family members have access to LCL services.
Employing support groups, one-on-one mentoring, and referrals
to professional services as needed, LCL caters to members of the legal
community throughout Minnesota. In the fiscal year 2005-2006 LCL provided support
to 249 members of the legal community. LCL is a volunteer organization, comprising members of the
legal community ranging from 1Ls to judges, many but not all of whom
are recovering from alcoholism, other addictions, mental illness,
or one of the many other issues LCL confronts.
This allows the reticent attorney to feel more at ease when
discussing a private dilemma. Having a friendly ear, rich in experience and
empathy, allows for open and easy communication. Confidential help is available 24 hours a day. In addition to providing direct service to members of Minnesota’s
legal community, LCL also works to educate attorneys, law students,
and other members of the legal community about alcoholism and other
challenging personal issues. LCL
is willing and able to provide education and assistance to firms and
family members of lawyers who are struggling with these issues. Friends in Deed My friend of years past didn’t stop when he founded LCL.
In later years, as I became a young attorney, his chambers
were always open to me and he would frequently call giving advice
concerning career paths. Consequently, I particularly appreciate that
an organization like LCL exists to help extend the careers, and even
the lives, of some of the most valuable members of our community. Whether we suffer from alcoholism personally
or have a friend or family member stricken with this affliction, very
few of us go through life without being touched by this disease. When our focus is expanded to include the myriad
of maladies addressed by LCL, it is safe to assume that no one is
totally unaffected. It is incumbent
upon all of us to actively support this program.
Please, take the opportunity to provide support to LCL so the
next 30 years can be as PATRICK J. KELLY is president of the Minnesota
State Bar Association, a founding partner in the St. Paul law firm
Kelly & Fawcett, and a recognized Minnesota SuperLawyer.
He practices in areas of municipal law, labor and employment law and
litigation, real estate, and administrative hearings. |
