Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude but this holiday can be difficult for anyone struggling with early recovery, an illness or dealing with loss. We hope you will reach out to LCL; we can offer you support.
The LCL office will be closed on Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29. Our 24-hour hotline is always open and available. Our counseling partner, Sand Creek EAP, provides counselors to speak with you anytime, day or night.
You may call Sand Creek directly at 651-430-3383 or 1-888-243-5744 – when they ask the name of your employer, say you were referred by Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. If you call the LCL office while we’re closed, there will be prompts to direct you to Sand Creek.
The LCL Staff is grateful for all you do for LCL, for yourself, and for others.
November is also Indigenous People’s Month. Thanksgiving Day brings an opportunity for learning, reflection, observation, and appreciation alongside other traditions. We can take a broader look at our human family and relationships to each other and our sense of place. Learn more about Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota) from the Native Governance Center and for a deeper dive, go to the Global Solidarity and Local Actions website.
Thanksgiving Mindfulness Resource: This Thanksgiving article provides tips for a mindful Thanksgiving.
Meetings:
Greater Minneapolis Intergroup
Overeaters Anonymous – one example of compulsive behavior resources
Upcoming CLEs
Shielding the Carer, Understanding and Managing Secondary Trauma in the Legal Profession
Thursday, December 12, 2024
12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.
1.0 hour Mental Health credit (applied for)
Advance Registration is required; Register Here.
As legal professionals, we are sometimes exposed to the trauma inherent in our client’s matters. This CLE is intended to educate the legal professional about what secondary trauma is, how exposure occurs, and what secondary traumatic stress looks like. The presenter will give strategies to strengthen participant’s resiliency reserves through a self-compassion practice, reframing, mindfulness and connection. This will be addressed using the framework of habit formation. Workplace resiliency will also be discussed.
Mental Health and Substance Use in the Legal Profession and the Practice of Law/Live Webcast
December 17, 2024
4:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
1.0 hour Mental Health credit (applied for)
Advance Registration is required; Register Here.
This course is designed to educate attorneys to identify, understand, and recognize that within the legal profession and the practice of law, biases against persons because of disabilities related to mental and chemical health issues still exist. Powerful stigmas remain attached to both chemical health and mental health related disabilities, and the ABA study clearly shows that barriers to seeking help included “not wanting others to find out they needed help” and “concerns regarding privacy or confidentiality.” Because of those stigmas, discrimination occurs both to impaired lawyers and by lawyers toward impaired clients and potential clients. By educating attorney about the misconceptions surrounding chemical health and mental health issues, they will be better positioned to eliminate barriers to hiring, retentions, professional development, and full participation of attorneys disabled by chemical or mental health issues. They will also be less likely to discriminate against their clients or potential clients with chemical dependency or mental health related disabilities.
Recovery Support Meetings
LCL has a long history of supporting recovery through many avenues, although our roots are in the 12 Step tradition. While these listed groups are not “official” LCL groups, LCL does provide space and technological support for these weekly Recovery Support meetings.
Mondays, except holidays, at 12:15 p.m. This hybrid (phone and in person) meeting follows the traditional 12 Steps framework.
Call 651-646-5590 or 866-525-6466 or email us for information.
Please click here for other meeting links.
LCL Connection Groups
LCL offers several check-in and support opportunities via Zoom videoconferencing. Open our LCL Resources and Connections 2024 for more information and joining instructions.
- The Path to Well-Being Group, every Thursday, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Solo/Small Practice Connections Group – This group offers support and discussion opportunities for solo and small group practitioners on how to manage the unique stressors of practicing law and managing a small or solo practice. Interested? Please email us for information.
Insights Newsletter
Practicing Financial Wellness During the Holidays
During the holidays, people are routinely reminder to look after their physical and mental health. However, it’s also helpful to preserve and protect your financial health. Holiday expenses haave a way of adding up – and adding stress. Here are a few quick tips for preserving your financial health this holiday season.
Learn more in this month’s article, “Keeping Tabs on Financial Wellness During the Holidays“.
In this month’s newsletter, dive into resources such as the latest video, Tips for Coping with Financial Stress; Upcoming webinars: Holiday Survival Guide and Consumer Spending Stress: Taking Back Control of Our Financial Wellness; for Leaders, The Direct Link Between Organizational Health and Financial Performance; and for Students, Understanding Financial Wellness and Financial Literacy.
Sand Creek Wellness Resources
Sand Creek EAP provides numerous resources covering a wide range of topics on its website. You can set up your own free account and access them on your own schedule. Click here to visit their site. Click the “Member Portal & App” button to sign in or create your new account. When creating your account, use “lawyers” as the Company Access Code.
LCL Article on Grief and Loss
Chase Andersen’s powerful Bench & Bar article, “What I learned grieving the loss of my dad” (Andersen2024), offers insight, guidance and perspective for a difficult journey.
Suicide Prevention: Every Lawyer’s Opportunity
What are the signs and what can I say? This article will provide some guidance on reducing our risk. Additional resources are available here.
Just Ask: How We Must Stop Minding Our Own Business in the Legal World is a powerful suicide prevention video created by the Texas Lawyer Assistance program with the assistance of the Pennsylvania LAP. You may access the video and other suicide prevention resources here.
We recognize that content like this can be triggering for some. The video begins with a warning and offers support and encouragement to reach out to others.
Thank you for Stepping Up with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers!
LCL would like to thank the event sponsors, speakers, attendees, honorees, and musicians. Together, we can Step Up for Well-Being in the profession.
Advance Notice of Upcoming CLEs & Events
We’ve had several requests from lawyers to provide email notifications of upcoming CLEs. So many, in fact, that we’ve developed a monthly email specifically for the purpose of letting people know what CLEs and events are planned, when they are scheduled, and registration information.
If you want to get on the mailing list, just provide the following information. You’ll receive an email from Vertical Response, the service we use, asking you to confirm your email address. You can cancel at any time by clicking on the “Unsubscribe” link contained in each newsletter.