Erica Grigg credits the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program with saving her life. This month, she became director of the 37-year-old program. The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP) provides confidential help, referrals, and peer assistance programs to lawyers, judges, and law students experiencing mental health or substance use disorders. “Years ago, I reached out to TLAP … Continue Reading
On the eve of World Mental Health Day, the State Bar of Texas released a video on Wednesday highlighting the importance of lawyers seeking help for anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health issues. “We are here to send a strong message to our legal community that it’s time that we recognize one thing: … Continue Reading
TexasBarCLE is offering a free half-hour presentation about the impact of addictions and mental health impairments on the lives of attorneys. “What Lawyers Need to Know about Depression and Suicide” will be held from 12:30 to 1 p.m. September 10 via live webcast (the video will be available to watch for credit through August 31, … Continue Reading
Check out our editorial staff’s September must-reads for a dive into new laws passed during the 86th Texas Legislature, highlights from this year’s State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, and a deep dive into mental health issues affecting the practice of law. And don’t forget to read the latest in Movers and Shakers, Memorials, and … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery blog series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. My ideal resume would read as the antithesis of conventional resumes. I’d memorialize both … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas’ Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program has taken the innovative step of adding a sitting judge to its staff of experts to reach out to fellow jurists about issues such as stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and other mental health matters. The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP) has always served judges as well … Continue Reading
Can’t wait for the July issue of the Texas Bar Journal to arrive? Check out our editorial staff’s must-reads for stories on wellness, remarks from February’s bar exam high scorer, and a commencement speech from a past president. And don’t forget to catch up on Movers and Shakers, Memorials, and Disciplinary Actions.… Continue Reading
Bree Buchanan, director of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, was honored for her research and outreach on mental health and substance abuse disorders within the legal profession. Buchanan, who is co-chair of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being and co-authored the task force’s report, “The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change,” … Continue Reading
By C. Kelly Rentzel Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. According to a recent study, those who score top grades in … Continue Reading
The Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals held a first-ever joint hearing on January 11 and established the Judicial Commission on Mental Health. The move came after hours of testimony from its supporters who say the time is now for the judiciary to step up its efforts in helping people with mental … Continue Reading
Update: The Well-Being Tool Kit is a project conceived by Anne Brafford not the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being as originally reported. Brafford was the editor-in-chief of the task force’s report The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change. The title of this post and the language in the introduction have been edited to reflect … Continue Reading
The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division will host a Twitter Chat focused on mental health and addiction during the holidays. Brian Cuban, author of The Addicted Lawyer, and Bree Buchanan, director of the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program, will be joined by members of the Michigan Bar and Florida Bar as they respond to questions … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This is the final of four special posts in the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series for National Suicide Prevention Week (September 10-16). TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. My brother had been … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This is the second of four special posts in the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series for National Suicide Prevention Week (September 10-16). TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This is the first of four special posts in the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series for National Suicide Prevention Week (September 10-16). TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. … Continue Reading
A groundbreaking 2016 study on substance abuse and mental health problems among licensed attorneys is a call to action and a reminder that more must be done to remove the stigma that keeps people from seeking help. That was the message from panelists August 5 at a session during the National Conference of Bar Presidents … Continue Reading
The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program of the State Bar of Texas received the Texas Suicide Prevention Council’s Leadership Award yesterday at the Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium in San Marcos. The honor was bestowed on TLAP staff attorney Chris Ritter by the TSPC, a coalition of various community-based organizations, state and local agencies, and academic institutions, … Continue Reading
The University of Houston Law Center’s Health Law & Policy Institute is hosting a conference next week exploring the future of how broadband technologies can play a role in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and behavioral health issues.… Continue Reading
The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program was featured in a nonprofit TV channel segment “Mental Health Matters: In the Workplace,” on how states and employers support their workers dealing with mental illness. The segment on Mental Health Channel, an online network of free documentary-style programming about mental health topics, looks at legislative and employer-based policies aimed … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This is the 16th story in the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program “Stories of Recovery” series. The State Bar’s TLAP program offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at (800) 343-8527 and find more information at texasbar.com/TLAP. All five of us walked into … Continue Reading
Texas attorneys can earn continuing legal education ethics credit by watching the inspirational video Courage, Hope, Help—TLAP Is There through TexasBarCLE starting now through the end of the year. TexasBarCLE is featuring the video as part of its free online CLE offering titled “Not Alone—Help and Hope for the Impaired Lawyer,” which is available at … Continue Reading
The latest episode of the Voices of Recovery podcast is now available. In Episode 4, “No More Secrets,” a Texas lawyer tells of her struggles to achieve and maintain sobriety in spite of life’s worst challenges. The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, part of the State Bar of Texas, created the podcast to let bar members … Continue Reading
I could not open my eyes. I could hear someone calling my name but I didn't recognize the voice. I let myself drift back into unconsciousness.… Continue Reading
A new monthly podcast will feature Texas attorneys' personal stories of fighting and overcoming problems with substance abuse and mental health issues. The Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program, part of the State Bar of Texas, created the Voices of Recovery podcast as a way to let bar members know that help is available and recovery is possible, said Bree Buchanan, TLAP director.… Continue Reading
