My first day of sobriety was my first day with LCL. Following a three-day weekend and on my way to work in January 1991, I decided I had to quit drinking. This decision came after years of unsuccessfully trying to stop on my own. When I got to work, I called an LCL member who said he couldn't get to me right then but to sit tight and someone would get in touch. Within minutes I got a call from … [Read more...]
My Husband is an Alcoholic
Six years ago, I made a terrified and desperate call to LCL. I worried that my husband’s career would be ruined forever if anyone knew his secret. And, personally, I feared that he would leave our family if we confronted his alcoholism. LCL protected our privacy, gave us the courage to deal with the situation, and led our family through a successful intervention. Every day we thank LCL for … [Read more...]
The First Seeds of Realization
I had my first experience with an LCL volunteer 25 years ago. My firm was a hard-drinking one. To a practicing alcoholic like me, a newly minted lawyer, it was perfect. But the level of drinking going on concerned a partner, and he asked an LCL volunteer to come to our annual fall retreat and talk about alcohol abuse in the legal profession. The LCL volunteer, Bill, delivered a dispassionate, … [Read more...]