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
Editor’s note: The following message was sent to all members on Friday, February 12. Dear Member, This message includes updated information related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other State Bar of Texas information. We hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. Supreme Court of Texas Emergency Order The Texas Supreme … 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
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
More and more people are focusing on wellness and well-being, a movement that has been around for decades and gained mainstream media attention in the past couple of years. In fact, the July issue of the Texas Bar Journal focuses on lawyer wellness and well-being with articles on brain health, how meaningful work boosts well-being, … 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
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 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. I am supposed to be dead! I weighed over 350 pounds, had high blood pressure, borderline … Continue Reading
Young lawyers interested in establishing their own law firms can get guidance at a three-day seminar at Baylor Law School, August 16-18. Legal Mapmaker™, which is sponsored by Baylor Law School in collaboration with other law schools and the State Bar of Texas, aims to equip new lawyers with the tools to start practices … Continue Reading
When I started practicing law, I was anxious, petrified, depressed, terrified--you name it. After a couple of years, I decided I needed some help, so I sought out a business coach. She taught me to improve my performance, but more than that she taught me to eat right, exercise, meditate, and take care of myself for the long haul of a career.… Continue Reading
As we enter 2015, many people are deciding on their New Year’s resolutions. If you are thinking about what you can improve, congratulations! It’s important, however, to think about the form your goals should take. If you want to create lasting change, consider altering an attitude rather than just one behavior. So instead of making … Continue Reading
