Resources available to help address substance abuse in legal community

In 2016, a landmark study from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs found a troubling trend: Attorneys were more likely than the average person to report problem drinking, anxiety or depression.

The study found that over one-third of responding practicing attorneys are problem drinkers, while nearly 84% of attorneys have used alcohol in the last 12 months. The landmark study, one of the first of its kind to focus on legal professionals, prompted a renewed interest in increasing wellness and recovery resources for attorneys and others in the legal profession.

Despite the attempt to tackle stigma surrounding seeking help and an increase in access to mental health resources, substance abuse issues among attorneys remain high. According to the American Addiction Centers’ website, 9% of attorneys struggle with prescription drug abuse, while “a large number” resort to using illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin.

A 2019 report by the Committee on Well-Being of the Supreme Court of Virginia found similar rates for alcohol abuse in the commonwealth, with 21-36% of lawyers qualifying as problem drinkers.

Although the statistics appear troubling, work is being done to increase awareness of wellness resources and to address issues within the legal profession that can lead to substance abuse issues. As National Recovery Month comes to a close, there has been a renewed interest in educating the legal community on these resources.

Addressing stigma

Michigan attorney Arvin Pearlman, who also works as a recovery coach, said that many legal professionals may fear reaching out for help with addiction because of possible repercussions.

“I think lawyers are concerned about their license situation, and also coming out publicly and acknowledging that they may have a problem with substance abuse, in their minds, might affect their business and professional standing in the community,” Pearlman said.

A 2006 study from the Journal of Labor Research confirms this stigma. Of surveyed law students that reported serious substance misuse, 72% said they felt that admission to the bar was more likely if their issues remained hidden.

In Virginia, groups like the Virginia Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program have been working to break down this stigma and encourage lawyers and legal professionals in need to seek the resources needed to get better. So far this year, VJLAP have conducted several events to help promote their services as well as encourage attorneys to seek help, including the Lawyer Wellness Challenge earlier this year and the group’s annual fall retreat, which was held on Sept. 17 and 18 and featured opportunities for CLE credit.

“We’re here, and we want to help people. We want them to be the best they can be because quite honestly, the public is counting on that,” VJLAP Executive Director Tim Carroll said to Lawyers Weekly this summer. At the time, Carroll added that the ability to conduct events virtually has helped promote access to the resources VJLAP has for those in recovery.

For Pearlman, addressing the stigma surrounding seeking recovery is an important barrier to break down.

“I think that’s the ultimate goal, that once we stop looking at this with a negative view and stigmatizing these individuals, the more we will be able to see people more readily come forward and seek help,” he said.

Shifting the culture

In the legal field, some attorneys have reported feeling as if they need to drink alcohol to gain access to certain social events. The 2006 Journal of Labor Research study found that within the legal community, social drinking can increase earnings by over 10% compared to those who do not participate.

That culture seems to take root early on. Data presented at the VJLAP fall retreat showed that more than 14% of respondents said their problematic use of alcohol started during law school, with 43.7% saying their problematic use of alcohol began in the first 15 years following law school.

In addition to the resources VJLAP provides for those in recovery, attorneys are encouraged to make changes at their individual firms to be more welcoming to those in recovery and to discourage problem drinking, including moving away from social drinking events that can be seen as essential networking opportunities for lawyers.

In order to address the early onset of substance abuse, VJLAP has begun a monthly call with law school deans involved in student affairs, where participants collaborate to share their experiences and resources to fit the needs of students and to educate them on available resources.

“It is amazing to be able to work with these people to share what their experiences are and how we can work differently with them,” VJLAP Tidewater Regional Program Manager Janet Van Cuyk said in July.

These outreach projects all have one goal: to tackle the rates of substance abuse head-on.

“The more you make people aware of the fact that we’re dealing with a disease, the less it becomes stigmatized,” Pearlman said.