Effective July 1, 2024, each Minnesota lawyer “must report no fewer than 1 hour of approved courses in mental health and substance use in the legal profession and in the practice of law.[1]” This requirement does not add credits but includes the new category in the already required 45 credits. LCL has long offered programs which can qualify for other categories of credit, and we are prepared to help Minnesota lawyers easily meet this new requirement that we truly believe will help reduce stigma.
All LCL programs are created and offered with the intention of reaching attendees who:
- are ready to consider seeking help for a mental health or substance issue,
- are seeking resources to reduce their risk,
- are concerned about a colleague, client, or someone else they care about who may be struggling,
- would like to have a better understanding of the risks, challenges, and opportunities in our profession.
This requirement for specialized credit will better reach lawyers who need to hear this information in at least two ways. One, since everyone must take a course, no one stands out. Stigma means that the lawyer who is struggling will think others are noticing any steps they take to learn more about mental health or substance use issues. This requirement may be the step that is needed to help someone face a problem that has developed. At the same time, others will recognize they are at risk and look for options before a difficulty becomes a disability.
The second reason is that they may be in denial about this issue and attend involuntarily (or say they are) – they are resisting because the issues are too close to home. When an individual is suffering from a mental health challenge, including a substance use disorder, denial means that the person is unable to accept that the problem is significant, and that anyone else is affected. Attending a CLE may be a small but important step in the process of overcoming denial.
LCL receives many calls for help after our CLE programs. Something resonates. One attendee at a bar convention program printed the LCL slide on “signs of impairment,” folded it up, and kept it in their wallet to remind them of how these factors rang true during the program and that it was time to get help. Another called LCL on a Monday morning after a presentation to a bar organization the week before and said it felt like we were talking about them. Yet another said they realized they were not alone and could get help when they heard someone else’s story of recovery at a bar organization dinner. Each of these were events where all members or attendees at a bar meeting would attend regardless of the topic. There was no stigma to being seen. However, if they have a choice whether to learn more about mental health issues when selecting topics, they may not attend.
[1] Review the new Rule at https://cle.mn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Administrative-Order-Rules-2.23.2024.pdf.