Is There Help Out There?

This week we turn from horror stories of attorney malpractice to an offering of hope for those legal professionals who recognize they need help.  I visited the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program website this week; it is an organization which serves attorneys, judges, and law students who suffer from substance abuse, chemical dependency, addiction, and mental health issues.  While no client likes to hear that her attorney has personal problems, OLAP is a wonderful organization and resource for legal professionals in Ohio.

OLAP is a member of a larger national organization, the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs.  This organization lists all of the state lawyer assistance programs, holds an annual national conference, and publishes a quarterly newsletter for the benefit of legal professionals.

The most recent copy of the periodical, called Highlights, has several articles which focus on the struggles of law students.  I have several friends who are either in law school or have completed law school and I have heard many a horror story about the rigors and impossibly high expectations imposed by professors, not to mention the cut-throat competition between students.

Law school is a business and filled with tradition.  Even if a law student gets cold feet after the first year, he may feel forced to continue based on the amount of debt already incurred for that one year.  Susan Grover's article, "Helping Law Students," outlines the many stressors that such students face.

Many students go from being at the top of their undergraduate class to struggling to make B's, let alone the impossible A.  For perfectionists and Summa cum Laud grads, law school can seem impossible.  Often, in an attempt to focus even more on their studies, students will put aside important personal practices, such as prayer, meditation, and personal private time.  Grover argues that although the stress in law school is immense, Lawyer Assistance Programs are more frequently now reaching out to law students, helping them regain perspective, deal with chemical dependency, and serve as a means of encouragement.

Also included in this issue is an anonymous article detailing one law student's struggle with alcoholism and drug abuse.  Although his law studies did not initiate his problems with addiction, it exacerbated such issues and only through the help of an LAP was he able to hind help, healing, and remain in law school.

If, when you have obtained a fantastic paralegal job, you find that an attorney in your firm is struggling with chemical dependency or mental health issues, I would urge you to anonymously contact the OLAP so that the attorney can find help and her clients get the best representation possible.

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business, or personal advice.