Practicing From the Shadows

Lawyers and Judges are not immune from mental illness. The Texas Lawyers' Association Program has the following video available on their website "Practicing from the Shadows: Depression and the Legal Profession" DVDs now available. Click here to watch the video. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 for a free copy. This is an excerpt from the Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program:

The nationally acclaimed Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program (TLAP) has evolved from helping lawyers with substance abuse disorders and alcoholism to assisting lawyers, judges and law students with mental health issues. The March 2007 issue of the Texas Bar Journal features articles and information about TLAP and the services offered.

TLAP was created to provide for the identification, peer intervention and rehabilitation of any Texas attorney or law student whose professional performance is impaired because of substance abuse, dependency or mental health disorders. Current estimates indicate that anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 lawyers in Texas suffer from substance use disorders or mental health issues affecting their law practices. TLAP can help save the lives of these attorneys. Our work also contributes to the protection of the public, the improvement of the integrity and reputation of the legal profession, and, because assistance to an affected lawyer often prevents future ethical violations, the reduction of disciplinary actions.