The Mindfulness Blog

The hour is upon us for acknowledging the urgent need for lawyer wellbeing (it has actually been here for some time), but sadly-- and curiously-- the legal profession continues to pay what I regard as lip service, to a not-so-hidden epidemic of compromised health. That's not for lack of awareness, or lack of tools. It's because of... well, let's be gracious and say that it's complicated-- even though it's really not.

As the world begins to emerge from a health pandemic that is the scourge of a generation-- and as workplace wellbeing has been elevated to a status of "must have" recognition/importance-- and as the legal profession records hitherto unheard-of levels of revenue and compensation-- the challenge of lawyer wellbeing remains a largely ineffective Tower of Babel.

I've organized, moderated and spoken at many different wellbeing events, and I'm glad I did (and continue to do so). Raising awareness is certainly an important thing, and we shouldn't ever stop. Having said that, however, it's also important that we actually do
something to address the situation. Action speaks louder than words.

And yet, the approach to lawyer wellbeing remains for the most part uncoordinated, incremental and largely short-lived or downright ineffective. Increasingly, I feel like the issue of lawyer wellbeing is of interest only to a handful of others who recognize the urgency of the challenge and are committed to really doing something-- no matter how "perfectly" or "imperfectly". The profession needs to start. And the dithering needs to stop.

Planning is obviously important, but planners can only anticipate so many variables and so many outcomes-- at some point, we need to act, with the knowledge that there will inevitably be some missteps as well as moments of success.

The hour has cometh-- there's no time like now!