A combination of long hours, intensive reading, and high-stakes outcomes puts a lot of stress on lawyers. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and what better way to celebrate it than to take a moment to assess how you’re coping with the stressors in your life? There is an understandable impulse to bottle things up and deal with them later — deadlines are deadlines, after all — but constantly putting off mental matters is a recipe for burnout or breakdown. While the ultimate causes are unclear, a recent story of a lawyer who may have had a little too much on his plate is a reminder to take your mental health seriously. From ABA Journal(Opens in a new window):
A prominent South Carolina lawyer allegedly identified himself as “Superman” and “God” when he was arrested for erratic behavior last week[.]
[The lawyer] was arrested May 15 after he was allegedly “yelling at the top of his lungs” while wearing only underwear and shoes in downtown Charleston, South Carolina[.]
His lawyer attributed the outburst in part to exhaustion. The arrested lawyer hadn’t slept in a week. The good news is that he will be released so long as he admits himself to a mental health program.
If you or someone you know is depressed and in need help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255(Opens in a new window)) or a lawyer assistance program(Opens in a new window) in your state (don’t be fooled by the name; these programs also provide services to law students). Remember that you are loved, so please reach out if you need assistance.
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s(Opens in a new window). He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent(Opens in a new window).