Confronting Addiction in the Law Firm (CE Credit)

In 2016, The Journal of Addiction Medicine published a groundbreaking study by Hazelden Betty Ford and the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs: “The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys.” Although it has been commonly presumed that the legal profession had a heightened rate of these problems as compared to the general public and other professions, nobody expected the numbers — reported by only active, practicing attorneys — to rise to the level that they did. It has now been clearly revealed as a full-blown crisis that cannot be ignored. This course will detail the findings of the study and its potential consequences, while providing insight into the disease of addiction itself and how it presents itself in a law firm setting. Further, it will provide strategies and tools for handling both present-day concerns as well as suggestions for prevention of these problems and a necessary shift in law firm culture.

Read the article in Legal Management magazine here. Then, purchase access to the quiz: members pay $49; nonmembers pay $69.

Learning Objectives

1. Review The Journal of Addiction Medicine study and describe the current extent of substance abuse and other mental health concerns among licensed attorneys.
2. Identify the potential damaging consequences when a law firm does not confront these issues.
3. Define addiction and how it typically manifests itself within a law firm.
4. Explain the process of recovery from addiction, as well as the obstacles and rewards of the addict’s return to work as a sober employee.
5. Break down what constitutes “high-functioning” addicts and why they so often elude detection.
6. Examine strategies for confronting an employee’s behavioral health crisis when it occurs at the law firm.
7. Discuss new strategies for building a culture of prevention, wellness and support.

Members and nonmembers can read the article in Legal Management magazine, then log in to take a test. If you pass with at least 70 percent, you will earn one CE credit hour. 

SHRM: This program has been pre-approved for SHRM for 1 PDC for the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.

CLE: 1 hour participatory MCLE credit; including the following sub-field credits: 1 hour in Competence Issues.

HRCI: This activity has been approved for 1 HR (General) recertification credit hour towards California, GPHR, PHRi, SPHRi, PHR and SPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute.

CLM App Credit for Functional Specialists: 1 hour in the subject area of Human Resources Management (HR) towards the additional hours required of some Functional Specialists to fulfill the CLM application.

CLM Recertification Credit: 1 hour in the subject area of Human Resources Management (HR). This session also satisfies the 1 hour in Substance Abuse rectification requirement.