Tag: mental health

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Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

Justifiable Paranoia – Nothing New Under the Sun

Woman sitting back to back with herself. The second version of herself is whispering to her.
Photo by Cottonbro Studio at Pexels.

“All of this has happened before. All of this will happen again.”

Battlestar Galactica, Peter Pan, and Ecclesiastes 1:9

It is not often that I quote the Bible, but when the Bible is validated by both Peter Pan and Battlestar Galactica, it has to be right.

In 1994, which may as well be back before the beginning of recorded history as far as people entering law school now are concerned, the Los Angeles Times ran an article written by Amiram Elwork under the following title, “‘Justifiable Paranoia’ Afflicts Lawyers, Psychologist Says.”

read more about mental health and the legal profession “Justifiable Paranoia – Nothing New Under the Sun”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Too Nice For This World

A somber looking stone angel.
Photo by Francesco Ungaro at Pexels.

Before you read this story, I should let you know that this is a sad story which does not end well.

Long ago I had a great professional relationship and friendship with Laurence.  I liked Laurence a lot.  He was honest and ethical. He cared about his clients, his family, and his relationships. He taught me valuable lessons about dealing with clients and co-workers.

read more about our actions affecting the mental health of others “Too Nice For This World”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

The Iceman Cometh

Silhouette of a man walking under the Northern LIghts.
Photo by Shahid Sultan at Pexels

Long ago I used to work with a great lawyer named Ed. Ed was calm, at least compared to me. When I was freaking out about my files and my workload and certain that I was going to get myself sued for something or other, Ed just did his work, calmly and professionally, no matter how much pressure he was under. We used to call Ed the Iceman because we were sure that he had ice water in his veins. I envied Ed. I never did find out if his insides were any different from his outsides.

read more about how different people handle stress in law firms “The Iceman Cometh”
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Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

That Don’t Impress Me Much!

Doctor sitting at her desk writing notes.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko:

I know a young doctor who I will call Stephanie, whose approach to her career impresses me quite a bit. She graduated at the top of her class, became a specialist, and had many choices open to her. 

read more about what impresses me about STephanie’s Career Choices “That Don’t Impress Me Much!”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Bread and Circuses

A sad looking clown face.
Photo by Brote Studio at Pexels.

I keep reading about mental health issues in the legal profession. Too many lawyers are terminally unhappy. The problem appears to be impossible to fix. Even The Washington Post just ran an article titled, “Want to be happy? Then don’t be a lawyer.”

read more about how to fix the mental health crisis in the legal profession “Bread and Circuses”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

What is the Best Use of My Time Right Now?

A wall full of clocks.
Photo by Andrey Grushnikov at Pexels.

Some years ago my firm had a lawyer’s retreat. We invited a speaker who gave a philosophical presentation about being mindful about how you use your time. His theme was that you have to constantly ask yourself, “what is the best use of my time right now?”

read more about how to think about what you are doing in your career “What is the Best Use of My Time Right Now?”
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Law Students and Young Lawyers

The Tip of the Articling Iceberg

Iceberg.
Photo by Jean-Christophe André at Pexels.

There is a fair amount of talk right now about whether law firms should be required to pay articling students a minimum wage.

But isn’t this so-called ‘debate’ about whether the Law Society should legislate a minimum wage for articling students just the tip of the iceberg? What about the institutionalized discrimination created by the Employment Standards Act (Ontario) against lawyers and articling students (together with architects, accountants, engineers, teachers, surveyors, and others)?

read more about legislative discrimination against lawyers and articling students “The Tip of the Articling Iceberg”
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Law Students and Young Lawyers

The View From The End of the Road: Part Two – The Later, Still Ignorant Days

In Part One of The View From The End of The Road, Old Murray (“OM”) went back in time to speak to Young Murray (“YM”) about the beginning of his journey in the legal profession and concluded that Young Murray just did not get it.  

Now, Old Murray is going to check in to see whether everything got better when Young Murray became a partner.  To read part Two, click here:

https://bit.ly/3VvZhX0

Categories
Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

Band-Aids For Burnout

Sea Planes lined up at the dock.

My partner Gordon used to travel to Florida each winter on vacation with his biggest client.

Gordon would pay for every meal for both families and submit for reimbursement from the firm.  When asked by the Managing Partner whether he had any friends who were not clients to vacation with, he answered rhetorically, “what better friend could there be than someone who helps me put bread on the table to feed my family?” 

read more about using vacations as a band-aid for a bigger problem “Band-Aids For Burnout”
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Law Students and Young Lawyers

The View From The End of the Road: Part One – The Early, Ignorant Days

Young Murray

The thing about starting a new career is that we often do it when we are young and have little experience in life or in business. So, we look to those who came before us to show us the path to success. We assume that the older and wiser folks know what they are doing. That is our first mistake. 

Read about it here.

https://bit.ly/3HXqoHt