Current Rates of Substance Use, Depression and Anxiety within the Legal Profession
In 2016, the American Bar Association and Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation published a comprehensive study of lawyer well-being. The study examined anonymous responses from 12,825 employed lawyers from 16 states. It is considered the most comprehensive study ever on lawyer wellbeing.


Suffering in Silence: The Survey of Law Student Well-Being and the Reluctance of Law Students to Seek Help for Substance Use and Mental Health Concerns
Jerome M. Organ, David B. Jaffe, and Katherine M. Bender, Ph.D. published an extensive examination of law student well-being in the Journal of Legal Education (2016). This research was based on anonymous responses from over 3,400 law students at nineteen law schools.


The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change
Shortly after publication of the two studies cited above, National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being (National Task Force) was established by the American Bar Association. The National Task Force was comprised of key stakeholders within the legal profession, including lawyers, ABA Sections, judges (including the Chief Judges Association), lawyers assistance programs, legal regulators, and mental health professionals.

In August of 2017, the National Task Force published The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change. The purpose of the report was to identify recommendations on how to promote achievable, sustained change in the well-being of legal professionals. The report also offers proposed changes for consideration and implementation at the state level.


Examining Lawyer, Judge and Law Student Well-Being in Nebraska
After publication of The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change, the Nebraska Lawyers Assistance Program (NLAP) organized the Nebraska Task Force on Lawyer, Judge and Law Student Well-Being (Nebraska Task Force). The purpose of this group was to examine the well-being initiatives that currently existed within the Nebraska legal community and to determine what additional work still needed to be implemented to improve the well-being of our lawyers, judges, and law students.