The practice of law is fundamentally flawed...

The signs are right in front of our face.

Every CLE presentation I've been to warns that:
- 32% of lawyers under 31 have a drinking problem
- 28% of lawyers face depression
- 19% of lawyers experience anxiety
- 11% of lawyers have experienced suicidal thoughts

And what about those that didn't report?

I still remember the first speaker (who was a practicing attorney) at our law school orientation—orientation!—warn us about substance abuse.
-Not how great a career this is
-Not how we'll change the world
-Not that this is a great profession to support a family

Just that we better be careful because it's really easy to start drinking away our problems.

Why is that?

How can so many of our colleagues be depressed, anxious, and suicidal?

We have tons of education.
We solve other people's problems all the time.
And yet our own problems? We just ignore those apparently.

Why is that?
How is it that a third of attorneys my age and younger have a drinking problem?

Here's my hypothesis:
We've created a life where more is never enough.

More billable hours.
More business development.
More cases.
More verdicts.
More client consultations.
More rules, regulations, and ridicule.
More, more, more.
But then it's never enough.

We have to stay on the treadmill we created and hope that one day we can be proud of this relentless pursuit of more.

But when will that day come?
Think about it: this is what we learned somewhere along the way that made us think that law school was the right decision.

More school to get better grades so that we could get a better job so that we could have more responsibilities so that we could get a better paycheck. But then there's making partner...more, more, more.

At what point do we say, "Enough"?
Heck, maybe every young professional feels this pressure.
This could very well be the world we created and now we're just products of our environment.
Suffice it to say, if you're a young attorney and need someone that understands the pressures of what we go through, reach out to me. I'd love to meet you.
There's more to life than depression and anxiety. I promise you that.

There is beauty in the unknown and incredible scenery along the way.



In the encouraging words of C.S. Lewis:
“Make your choice, adventurous Stranger,
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.”
Location: Texas, USA

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