NCJ Number
154796
Journal
Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics, and Public Policy Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (1993) Pages: 305-329
Date Published
1993
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This article argues that the abuse by lawyers of alcohol and drugs may be caused by deficiencies in the legal education system and a legal system that is insensitive to the personal needs of its members, thus creating a pressurized environment and undue stress on attorneys.
Abstract
This essay examines efforts underway in the American Bar Association, State bar associations, and nonprofit groups to address professional dissatisfaction and concomitant chemical dependency among attorneys, and proposes additional individual and structural remedies. The author seeks to identify the roots of personal and professional dissatisfaction found within legal education and law practice and relates this malaise to chemical abuse. The final section suggests corresponding methods to be developed in legal education to address problems associated with attorney anxiety both in law school and in legal practice. Law schools, law firms, and bar associations should take an active role to block the growth of chemical abuse among its members and to recognize that the problem is indicative of fundamental shortcomings within the legal profession. 95 notes and 1 appendix