Work-Life Balance – NWSidebar

by NWSidebar

Stressed Out? Meet Adely Ruiz, WSBA’s New Member Wellness Counselor

Recently, the WSBA Member Wellness Program grew a little larger with the addition of Clinical & Outreach Lead Adely Ruiz, MSW, LSWAIC. Ruiz comes to the WSBA via the Sound – Belltown community mental health facility, where she worked with a vulnerable low-income population. She provided cognitive behavioral therapy that included mental health diagnosis and treatment, guiding clients with harm-reduction techniques, treating substance use disorders, and providing direction on accessing medication management services.

by NWSidebar

What’s in Store for Well-Being Week at the WSBA

Over the past five years, there has been a steady and growing change in how we as a profession address the mental health of attorneys. And over the next five days, the WSBA is joining other organizations around the nation in a rallying cry to further end stigma, support one another, and promote changes leading toward a healthier profession and, in doing so, better representation for clients. From May 3 to 7, the WSBA is joining other bars, firms, and organizations in recognizing Well-Being Week in Law.

by NWSidebar

Art and Law Meet in Washington State Bar News

What do lawyers do with their precious non-billable hours? In the new issue of Bar News, we hear from six lawyer artists about their creative processes and how their legal training has influenced their music, poetry, photography, stage play directing, and even podcasting.

by NWSidebar

WSBA President Majumdar Discusses His Mental Health Journey and Stigma: Part 2

We are all human beings and we all have frailties, it is important lawyers recognize this in themselves and that we support each other with this understanding.

by NWSidebar

WSBA President Majumdar Discusses His Mental Health Journey and Stigma: Part 1

For WSBA President Rajeev Majumdar, taking the step to go to therapy meant treading down a path that, to him, initially felt like failure. Recently, Majumdar took a little more time to speak with us about his mental health journey and what he hopes sharing it will do for others in the legal profession.

by NWSidebar

How to Make Working at Home Work for You

Our days have a completely new schedule. I have spoken to attorneys who are lounging too much and not getting their work done, and then I have spoken to those who are trying too hard to prove they are connected and committed. It’s harder to compartmentalize work and personal life when they are one room apart.

by NWSidebar

Why Judges are Stressed: Key Revelations from a National Survey

Judges in the U.S. are physically and mentally exhausted, and often traumatized by their experiences on the bench; this according to the “National Judicial Stress and Resilience Survey,” a landmark study.

by NWSidebar

Acupuncture for Lawyers: How an Old Method Has New Potential

I used to joke that practicing law was the worst thing I’d ever done for my health, both mental and physical. Turns out, it wasn’t really a joke and I am not alone. For myself, I have found tremendous benefit from acupuncture, the centuries-old method of treating mental and physical ailments with fine needles applied […]

by NWSidebar

Stress in Life and the Law

Stress is ever present in modern-day society. Individuals worry about money, time, families, relationships, careers. Some stress is beneficial and positive: the stress of a new baby, the stress of a promotion, the stress of personal growth. But more and more, stress is passing a tipping point from short-term, motivating, and positive, to long-term, chronic, […]

by NWSidebar

How to Reduce Stress in the Legal Profession

Practicing law can be stressful. Lawyers are under constant pressure to meet deadlines and client demands, and law-practice environments can be highly competitive. If you find yourself feeling stressed or anxious fairly often, it’s time to take action. Chronic stress causes chemical imbalances in the body and can weaken the immune system, making a person […]

by NWSidebar

5 Reasons Why Vacations are a Must for Lawyers

How many times have you caught yourself staring at your computer screen thinking “I need a break”? Have you just realized that it’s already October and you haven’t taken any time off yet this year? As lawyers, we are constantly hustling to make court deadlines, or trying to fulfill our billable hours requirements, or agonizing […]

by NWSidebar

The Well-Being Pledge: A National Effort to Help Attorneys

Earlier this year the American Bar Association, in collaboration with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, conducted the first ever national study on lawyer impairment. This landmark study discovered that more than 20% of attorneys have consistent problematic drinking, nearly one-third report some level of depression, and 11% of attorneys have contemplated suicide at some point […]

by NWSidebar

Oh, Those Dreaded Words: ‘Can I Get Your Advice on Something?’

Just as I lifted the fork to my open mouth, I heard the words that every attorney dreads most: “Can I get your advice on something?” When it comes to Thanksgiving mac and cheese, my mother is basically Marie Curie. Four cheeses, added at four different times, melted at four different temperatures until the crispy […]

by NWSidebar

What’s in the March 2016 NWLawyer

The March 2016 issue of NWLawyer is out, and we’ve got some great articles to share with you.

by NWSidebar

I Survived Law School Debt — and You Can, Too

Sitting on my ancient sagging couch, listening to the police sirens going by, I stared at the pile of loan papers in front of me and felt hopeless. How had I possibly reached a point where I was $68K in student loan debt?

by NWSidebar

Your Winter Action Plan for Beating the Holiday Blues

The WSBA’s psychologist Dan Crystal offers a few simple tips to ward off the Grinch inside you this holiday season. WSBA psychologist Dan Crystal offers a few simple tips to ward off the Grinch inside you this holiday season.