| THE ONTARIO LAWYERS’ ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Personal Life as a Profession As lawyers, we carry big responsibilities -- to the public, the courts and to other members of the Bar. We are charged with advancing our client’s interests. We analyze legal issues and dispense advice. In the courts, we must act in an honest and civil manner to promote the best interests of justice. With other lawyers, we try to come to solutions and resolution rather than encourage conflict. Sometimes, in our best efforts to balance all these roles, we get overwhelmed. In reality, some clients are difficult to relate to. The courts can be a hotbed of pressure, time lines and paperwork. Other lawyers are sometimes not easy to get along with. Differing opinions and legal interests can make practicing law tough, and through it all, we put our professional faces on and subsume our feelings. Part of being a professional is knowing what to do and how to do it by establishing a mentor relationship, continuing education and by using common sense. The other part of professional responsibility is being able to fulfill your myriad roles as a lawyer and human being by taking care of yourself. Recognize when things get to be too much -- so that it doesn’t affect your sleep, appetite, mood and enjoyment of non-lawyer life. Sometimes, it is good to just talk to another lawyer about the stresses, the fears and the challenges of being a lawyer. OLAP has a corps of volunteer peer support lawyers who understand these things and are willing to listen. Knowing that you are not alone can help.
BACK TO MAIN STARZYNSKI ARTICLES PAGE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE (MS WORD)
Legal Profession Assistance Conference (LPAC) |Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) | Lawyers Assistance Program of British Columbia (BCLAP) | Nova Scotia Lawyers Assistance Program (NSLAP) | Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) | The Lawyers Assistance Program (LINK) | The Alberta Lawyers Assistance Program | Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (Saskatchewan) | The Lawyers Professional Indemnity Company (LawPRO) | Law Practice Consulting |
||||