Legal employers play a vital role in the state of lawyer well-being. Certainly, strategies aimed at the individual lawyer are important. But policies, cultures, and practices of our legal employers must also be addressed because they have enormous influence on the state of lawyer health. It is time for our institutions to pay attention, take a hard look at our organizational practices, and begin to implement strategies to better support lawyer well-being.
12 areas define psychologically healthy workplaces:
- organizational culture of trust, honesty, and fairness
- psychological and social support
- clear leadership & expectations
- civility & respect
- psychological competencies
- growth & development
- fair and timely recognition & rewards
- involvement & influence
- workload management
- work engagement
- balance between work and non-work priorities, and
- psychological protection.

Take The ABA Well-Being Pledge
The ABA has launched a Pledge Campaign inviting all types of legal employers to: (a) recognize that substance use and mental health problems represent a significant challenge for the legal profession and acknowledge that more can and should be done to improve the health and well-being of lawyers; and, (b) pledge to support the Campaign and work to adopt and prioritize its seven-point framework for building a better future.
The ABA has launched a Pledge Campaign inviting all types of legal employers to: (a) recognize that substance use and mental health problems represent a significant challenge for the legal profession and acknowledge that more can and should be done to improve the health and well-being of lawyers; and, (b) pledge to support the Campaign and work to adopt and prioritize its seven-point framework for building a better future.
Resources:
Is your organization interested in boosting well-being? Check out the WCLP's step by step guide for how to get started.
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Understand potential challenges or barriers to your organization's well-being by conducting an audit. Here is a guide.
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