High rates of alcohol abuse. High rates of drug abuse. And the highest rates of depression and suicide of any profession.
Those trends that have seemingly plagued the law profession for many years may initially seem like old news and something that has little bearing on your day-to-day experience as a practicing attorney. The fact that these alarming statistics have continued to remain true over the years does not make it excusable for one to dismiss the situation; instead, the consistency portrayed through these statistics should be considered as evidence of a continuing problem that is not being adequately addressed. Alcohol and drug abuse remain a serious problem within the legal profession, and the numerous statistics outlining high rates of substance abuse shed light on a destructive trend that presents practicing attorneys with a very difficult dilemma.
