LCL Provides Training Programs to the Legal Profession
Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers presents public service announcements, law school presentations, and continuing legal education and other programs upon request. LCL may request an honorarium for in-house programs.
Public Service Announcements (PSA)
LCL welcomes the opportunity to present PSAs about our services and resources at events, programs, and gatherings tailored to the audience, event or program topic. Our PSAs can be in person, virtual or recorded.
Law School Presentations
All of LCL’s CLE programs can be adapted to law schools.
LCL has developed a class presentation specifically for Professional Responsibility courses. This presentation addresses stress, mental illness, and addiction in the Rules of Professional Responsibility context while providing opportunities for discussion. LCL can provide a full class session, a shorter program, or a PSA.
Available CLE Programs
LCL is reformulating many of our CLE descriptions to meet the requirements of Minnesota’s new mental health CLE requirement, and credit may be pending. Please contact us to discuss current program options. LCL or the hosting organization may sponsor the program. Many of our programs qualify for Mental Health and Substance Use, Elimination of Bias, or Ethics credits. Contact the Executive Director or the Outreach Director to arrange a CLE program. Please note, some programs are listed under more than one credit type because LCL presenters will tailor the program according to the requested credit type(s).
Most programs are one hour long; the length of some programs will vary based on the host organization’s request.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Contact us about custom programs!
Mental Health/Substance Use Credit
From Isolation to Connection: Supporting Mental Health in the Legal Profession (1 credit)
This course addresses the interplay between isolation and loneliness in legal practice and the incidence of mental health difficulties including substance use disorder, depression, and anxiety that affect lawyers disproportionately. Poor or insufficient social connection is associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and suicide. Numerous traits of lawyers fuel isolation including perfectionism, pessimism, low resilience, secondary trauma, and low sociability. The benefits of connection both professionally and personally will be presented with strategies to enhance both workplace and personal connection. (Jon Tynjala, Executive Director)
Breaking the Silence: Mental Health, Substance Use, and Resilience in the Legal Profession (1 credit)
The legal profession faces unique pressures that can take a significant toll on mental health and well-being. Chronic stress, if left unaddressed, can lead to burnout, substance use issues, anxiety, and depression—conditions more common among lawyers than in many other professions. This program explores the continuum of stress, the impact of trauma exposure, and the signs and symptoms of emerging mental health or substance use problems. Participants will learn practical strategies for early intervention, how to recognize and support colleagues in distress, and how to access confidential help. The session also highlights the role of peer support and resources such as Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers in fostering a healthier, more resilient legal community. (Jon Tynjala, Executive Director)
Managing Stress Mindfully (1 credit)
It is no secret that being a lawyer can be incredibly stressful. Trying to manage difficult clients, complex cases, and demanding deadlines while having a life outside of work can feel impossible at times. Left unchecked, stress can have severe impacts on our physical and mental health and on a lawyer’s ability to comply with ethical obligations related to competence, diligence, and communication. This program will not only teach lawyers about the health risks related to stress, but how mindfulness and meditation can help with reducing the risk of stress-related problems in their law practice to allow lawyers to thrive personally and professionally. Lawyers will also learn how to identify signs of stress in themselves and in their colleagues along with practical strategies and resources for supporting well-being in the workplace. Attendees will also experience a brief guided body scan as an introduction to meditation along with resources for managing stress and developing a consistent mindfulness practice. (Patty Devoy, Client Services Director)
Shielding the Carer: Understanding and Managing Secondary Trauma in the Legal Profession (1 credit)
This course is designed to educate attorneys about secondary traumatic stress and how it can adversely affect the attorney. It is based upon the understanding that working with traumatized individuals is part of many attorneys’ professional practices. Indeed, many of us spend considerable time with victims of trauma, either learning their stories in person or through secondary sources like reports, photographs, recordings, interviews with others and through pretrial and trial testimony. These interactions can take a significant emotional toll on the professional, particularly with repeated exposure over time. The purpose of this program is to assist attorneys in recognizing their exposure to other’s trauma and how that exposure can harm their ability to fulfill their obligations as attorneys. Finally, the presentation will give strategies for the individual and the institution to better equip themselves to handle the effects of working with this vulnerable population, in other words, how to employ strategies to “shield the carer” from the occupational hazard of working with other individual’s trauma. (Sarah MacGillis, Outreach Director)
Perfecting Without Perfectionism: How to Strive for Excellence Without Stressing Out Over Unattainable Ideals (1 credit)
This course is designed to educate legal professionals about perfectionism in the legal field and how although it can appear as a desirable trait, it is correlated with higher incidence of depression, anxiety and substance use disorder. This course will set forth the characteristics of perfectionism that tend to cause emotional difficulties for lawyers while carefully examining those features of legal practice that do not lend themselves to a rigid, all-or-nothing mindset that is common of perfectionistic tendencies. Each of these subjects will be discussed as well as strategies shown to help effectively manage perfectionistic tendencies including those which rely on Carol Dweck’s Mindset work, Dr. Kristin Neff’s self-compassion practice, and mindfulness. (Sarah MacGillis, Outreach Director)
Anxiety in the Legal Profession (1 credit or 1.5 credits)
We lawyers are an anxious bunch. We may find ourselves overthinking situations that haven’t even occurred or ruminating over ones that have. We may find ourselves dreading our next presentation, court appearance or meeting. In this course, we will talk about anxiety, explore different types and talk about the benefits and drawbacks to anxiety. We’ll finish out the presentation talking about different strategies you can use to help tame anxiety as well as discuss some professional treatment modalities. (Offered as a 60 or 90-minute course) (Sarah MacGillis, Outreach Director)
Ethics Credit
Better Boundaries, Better Lawyering: How to Avoid Burnout and Build a Sustainable Practice (1 credit)
The legal profession is demanding—and without strong boundaries, it’s also unsustainable. Long hours, adversarial dynamics, and unrelenting expectations from clients, colleagues, and even ourselves can quickly lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and burnout. This seminar explores how weak boundaries and poor communication contribute to burnout in the legal profession, and what lawyers can do to protect their well-being while maintaining ethical excellence. We’ll answer questions like: What exactly is burnout? How do personal and professional boundaries help prevent it? And what are the first ethical obligations to falter when burnout sets in? With practical tools and real-world examples, participants will learn how to set and maintain boundaries in relationships with clients, co-counsel, colleagues, and opposing counsel—and why doing so benefits both their practice and their health. (Sarah MacGillis, Outreach Director)
The Grieving Attorney: Navigating Loss Without Losing Your Way (1 credit)
Lawyers are not exempt from the personal losses that affect all human beings, whether it’s the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a health diagnosis, or the loss of identity tied to work. Yet the demands of legal practice often leave little space to grieve. This program explores the grief experience in its many forms, offering insight into types of grief, the grief process, and the toll it can take on a lawyer’s ability to fulfill ethical duties. Through the lens of attorney ethics, we will examine how grief may impact competence, diligence, communication, and client care. The session will highlight relevant rules of professional conduct and offer practical strategies for navigating grief with compassion—for ourselves and others—while upholding our responsibilities. We’ll also explore ways to create space for meaning, connection, and healing within a demanding profession. (Sarah MacGillis, Outreach Director)
Mindful Moments: Engaging in the Present Through Practice (1 credit)
Although often associated with a slowed pace, mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools that require active mental engagement with the present moment. Through experiencing mindful moments in our personal lives each day, we can learn to embrace the present moment and begin to apply these practices to our professional lives in ways that can improve our effectiveness as attorneys and our ability to comply with various ethics rules including those focused on competence, diligence & communication (and withdrawal, where appropriate). This presentation addresses how mindfulness and meditation are similar yet different, how to develop and experience these practices daily, and how they intersect with various ethics rules. (Patty Devoy, Client Services Director)
Ethically Enhancing Workplace Well-being with Self-Compassion, Gratitude and Joy (1 credit)
Self-compassion means showing yourself the same kindness, care, and support you would show a friend in need. Gratitude means appreciating what you have rather than longing for what you don’t have. Joy is a state of mind and heart that at its core is about celebrating the connection between ourselves and others. Although self-compassion, gratitude, and joy have distinct qualities and practices, they are intertwined in a beautiful way that can shift how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. They can improve stress management skills, deepen professional relationships, and enhance compliance with various ethical rules including competence, diligence, and communication. This presentation addresses the foundation of each practice, how to apply them to our personal and professional lives as attorneys, and the scientific benefits of doing so. There are also opportunities for written reflection exercises and two brief guided meditations throughout to illustrate the value of these practices. (Patty Devoy, Client Services Director)
Ethical Dangers of Isolation in the Legal Profession (1 credit)
Loneliness and isolation present an urgent public health challenge, prompting the U.S. Surgeon General to issue a public health advisory to urge the nation’s immediate awareness and action. As lawyers, we have been identified as the loneliest workers in America, and our isolation presents a significant risk to our mental and physical health and our ability to conform to our professional obligations. This program explores some of the causes and effects of isolation, the impact on our professional responsibilities, and ways we can address both causes and effects of isolation by building a culture of connection and mutual care in the legal profession. (Jon Tynjala, Executive Director)
Progress, Not Perfection: Shedding the Mindset that Demands Too Much (1 credit)
This course will explore why perfectionism is valued in law and when does it become ethically hazardous. We’ll discuss the intersection of the ethical rules and perfectionistic thoughts and behaviors. We’ll identify early warning signs that our perfectionist practices might ultimately compromise our professional duties. Finally, we’ll learn strategies to replace perfectionism with professional excellence. (Sarah MacGillis, Outreach Director)
Managing Ethics, Negativity & Stress (1 credit)
As lawyers, our duties under the Rules of Professional Conduct underpin our service to clients. We are accustomed to quiet withdrawals, transfers of representation, and serving clients well, even when clients are at their most difficult. We work in the midst of looming deadlines, mountains of cases, negativity, and other stressful conditions. Our duties as advocates frequently put us in the line of fire with difficult parties and opposing counsel, while requiring us to maintain the integrity of the profession and respect the rights of others. Learn how stress, negativity, and ethical duties interact and how we can better manage our practice, our lives, and our ethical obligations. (Chase Andersen, Client Services Director)
Clients in Crisis: Helping Yourself, Helping Your Clients (1 credit)
Lawyers often see clients who appear to be suffering from substance misuse, addiction, or other impairments. While it is not our job to diagnose, what is our role, responsibility, and opportunity? How do our biases govern our actions and behaviors? What if the issue is not with a client but with a colleague? The answers are seldom simple. This program will provide an ethical framework for lawyers facing these questions in addition to practical guidance and resources. (Chase Andersen, Client Services Director)
Help for Colleagues in Crisis: Recognizing and Responding to Impairment and Other Challenges in the Legal Profession (1 credit)
In the legal profession, we have many opportunities to observe our coworkers and colleagues in action. Sometime these observations might give rise to a genuine concern that help is needed. This program is designed for colleagues and managers who may observe changes in behavior that give rise to concerns. It discusses how to recognize and obtain help when you, a work colleague, or another professional colleague may have substance use, mental health, or other issues that affect behavior, conduct, and performance. Topics include understanding the issues, special considerations for remote work, approaching the lawyer (including interventions), arranging assistance such as treatment, and practice management issues during and following a reduced work schedule or leave of absence. (Chase Andersen, Client Services Director
Elimination of Bias Credit
Understanding Stress, Trauma, Mental Health, and Addiction in the Legal Profession (1 credit)
Lawyers are exposed to experiences that can lead to higher stress and greater consequences than those in many other careers. There is a clearly recognized continuum where unresolved chronic stress becomes a predictor for substance use problems and mental illness, particularly depression and anxiety. By understanding this continuum and the facts about addiction and mental illness, lawyers can reduce their risk and, hopefully, get help earlier when there is a mental health, substance use, or related problem. This program will present signs, symptoms, risk factors, and recovery regarding these challenges. The presenter will also provide personal examples and information on Minnesota’s lawyer assistance program. (Jon Tynjala, Executive Director)
Reducing Stigma to Avoid Burnout (1 credit)
The legal profession is at risk for high stress levels and mental health challenges in the best of times. During challenging times, our professional and personal lives may seem out of control, and this can affect our work and relationships. This program will identify normal feelings, reactions, and behaviors and recognize when they cause concern, and will review the most common mental health challenges affecting legal professionals. It will examine the role of stigma and bias in preventing us from asking for and accessing help for mental health issues. The program will also identify tools to recognize and reduce bias and to cope and thrive while developing and enhancing skills to identify and address individual needs. (Chase Andersen, Client Services Director)
Keeping it Real: The Trauma-Informed Legal Professional (1 credit)
Attorneys frequently work with clients who have experienced trauma, and this exposure may cause vicarious trauma for the lawyer. We also bring our own experiences, which may include trauma, to our work. This presentation will help legal professionals recognize and address trauma in clients and themselves. Topics also include the role of stigma and bias, understanding trauma and the potential for disability, recognizing and addressing trauma in clients, and the impact of current events. (Sarah MacGillis, Outreach Director)
Help for Colleagues in Crisis: Recognizing and Responding to Impairment and Other Challenges in the Legal Profession (1 credit)
In the legal profession, we have many opportunities to observe our coworkers and colleagues in action. Sometime these observations might give rise to a genuine concern that help is needed. This program is designed for colleagues and managers who may observe changes in behavior that give rise to concerns. It discusses how to recognize and obtain help when you, a work colleague, or another professional colleague may have substance use, mental health, or other issues that affect behavior, conduct, and performance. Topics include understanding the issues, special considerations for remote work, approaching the lawyer (including interventions), arranging assistance such as treatment, and practice management issues during and following a reduced work schedule or leave of absence. (Chase Andersen, Client Services Director)
Hiding in Plain Sight – Eating Disorders (1 credit) [by special arrangement]
An eating disorder is not a lifestyle choice — it is an illness that can be deadly and often hides in plain sight. An estimated 30 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder, and one-quarter of law students screen positive for eating disorders. Lawyers are likely impacted at rates higher than the national population, as studies consistently show that lawyers are twice or more likely to be impacted by mental illness and substance misuse than non-lawyers. Learn about eating disorders, how they impact law students and lawyers and their professional obligations, treatment, and recovery, how to recognize signs and symptoms, and how you can communicate with and help someone who may be struggling with an eating disorder. (Jon Tynjala, Executive Director)
Racial Trauma in the Legal Profession (1 credit) [by special arrangement]
Legal professionals of color often navigate the unique and cumulative stressors of racial trauma—ranging from subtle microaggressions to overt discrimination—within a profession historically shaped by structural inequities. This one-hour CLE explores the concept of racial trauma, its psychological and physical effects, and how it manifests in legal workplaces. Participants will gain an understanding of how racial trauma impacts professional performance, well-being, and retention, and how to foster more inclusive and supportive environments. The course also includes practical tools for recognizing signs of racial trauma in colleagues and clients, and introduces strategies to reduce harm, build resilience, and promote systemic change. (Sarah MacGillis and Dr. Matthias Darricarrere)
Mental Health, Ethics, and Standard Credit Workshops
Building Community: Managing Loneliness, Isolation and Stress Together (1.0 Mental Health and .5 Standard Credits) [90 minutes]
Whether working on a small legal team or in a large legal department, it can be isolating and stressful when we feel like the only one struggling to manage the demands of being a lawyer. On the other hand, when we feel like we are part of a community of peers, life as a lawyer can feel less lonely, less stressful, and can even allow us to perform more competently and diligently as attorneys. This program will teach lawyers about the physical and mental health risks associated with loneliness, isolation, and stress, how social connection can help to reduce these risks, and how being connected with others can help to reduce the risk of stress-related problems in a lawyer’s law practice. Lawyers will learn how to identify signs of stress in themselves and other lawyers, practical stress-management strategies, and resources for supporting social connection and well-being throughout the broader legal profession. Attendees will also have an opportunity to form authentic connections with each other through instructor-led discussions to experience the benefits of these strategies in real-time. (Patty Devoy, Client Services Director)
Sustainable Lawyering: Addressing Stress, Perfectionism, and Boundaries in the Legal Profession (1.5 credits) [90 minutes]
This interactive in-person workshop is designed to provide a collaborative space for lawyers to work together on issues of common concern in the profession. There will be both educational and breakout discussions on issues of stress in legal practice, common boundary difficulties, perfectionism problems, and wellness habits. The Mindful Business Charter tenets will be discussed as illustrative practices in reducing everyday stress. Participants are invited to bring pens and paper and dress comfortably for this workshop. (Jon Tynjala and Sarah MacGillis)
Mindful Moments: Ethically Managing Stress (1.5 Ethics Credits)
Although often associated with a slowed pace, mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools that require active mental engagement with the present moment. Through experiencing mindful moments in our personal lives each day, we can learn to embrace the present moment and begin to apply these practices to our professional lives in ways that can improve our effectiveness as attorneys and our ability to comply with various ethics rules including those focused on competence, diligence, communication, and confidentiality (and withdrawal, where appropriate). This presentation addresses how mindfulness and meditation are similar yet different, how to develop and experience these practices daily, and how they intersect with various ethics rules including Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, & 1.16. Attendees will also learn about the physical and mental health risks related to stress, how unmanaged stress can negatively affect a lawyer’s ability to comply with their ethical duties, and how mindfulness and meditation can help with reducing such risks. This program will incorporate instructor-led discussions regarding how attendees can apply mindfulness in real-time throughout their workday to manage stress and enhance compliance with ethical rules. Attendees will also experience a brief guided body scan as an introduction to meditation. (Patty Devoy, Client Services Director)
Ethically Enhancing Workplace Well-Being with Self-Compassion, Gratitude and Joy (1.5 Ethics Credits) [90 minutes]
Self-compassion means showing yourself the same kindness, care, and support you would show a friend in need. Gratitude means appreciating what you have rather than longing for what you don’t have. Joy is a state of mind and heart that at its core is about celebrating the connection between ourselves and others. Although self-compassion, gratitude, and joy have distinct qualities and practices, they are intertwined in a beautiful way that can shift how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. They can improve stress management skills, deepen professional relationships, and enhance compliance with various ethical rules including competence, diligence, and communication. This presentation addresses the foundation of each practice, how to apply them to our personal and professional lives as attorneys, and the scientific benefits of doing so. There are also opportunities for written reflection exercises, instructor-led small and large-group discussions, and two brief guided meditations throughout to illustrate the value of these practices. (Patty Devoy, Client Services Director)
Advance Notice of Upcoming CLEs & Events
We now offer a monthly email featuring upcoming CLEs and events, with dates, details, and easy registration information all in one place. To join the list, simply provide the information below. You’ll receive a quick confirmation email from VerticalResponse to verify your address, and you can unsubscribe at any time using the link in each message.