President & CEO, Minority Corporate Counsel Association

“Being a lawyer in any industry can be a very rewarding but stressful job. As the world evolves and technology allows us to be connected 24/7, it is important that we focus on recharging and taking care of ourselves.  For some, this can be exacerbated if you are a working parent, caring for the elderly and extended family. We need to ensure that we are providing a culture of inclusion where these differences are considered and accommodations are made to allow everyone to excel without the sacrifice of their well-being. We must take care of people first if we want our business to have an impact and growth.”

Chair, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PLLC

“At Ogletree Deakins, we truly believe that nurturing open communication about mental and physical health will allow our attorneys to be the best resource for our clients and also the best version of themselves. We encourage our team members to utilize our employee assistance program to seek confidential consultations that support mental, physical, social, and financial well-being. And, in recent years, we’ve implemented more wellness-focused programing at our annual meetings, including yoga, mindfulness, and a 5K. We work hard to lead by example and prioritize well-being for attorneys and staff.” 

Global Head of Legal Personnel, Reed Smith LLP

“Investing in our people is not only the right thing to do, it is an investment in the quality of our client service as well as a commitment to our culture of excellence.  The ABA’s Well-Being Pledge is a powerful example of the profession linking arms to confront universal challenges and to come out stronger for having done so.  Promoting well-being, destigmatizing issues around mental health and substance use and fostering discourse around the common struggles we all face will not only make the profession stronger, it will make its members better lawyers and better people.”

Partner, Martin Heller Potempa & Sheppard PLLC

“As a long-time solo and small firm attorney, no one carves out time for me to look after my own well-being. To be my best, it is up to me to put my health and happiness first. Quality time with family, intense daily workouts and a nice vacation on the horizon keeps me rejuvenated. Everyone needs to figure out their own well-being recipe because, as the saying goes, we can’t pour from an empty cup.”

Chairman, Goodwin

“The legal industry is extremely demanding, and the needs of our clients and the technologically-connected world we live in puts ever more pressure on professionals – lawyers and business folks. The industry needs to be laser-focused on giving all of the support we can to help our talent stay healthy and be well.  At Goodwin, we do so through our You@Goodwin program, because having well-adjusted professionals is good for our clients, our firm and our industry.”

Chair, Crowell & Moring LLP

“Fostering an environment that supports the well-being of our attorneys and professional staff is a top priority at Crowell & Moring.  As a proud signatory of the ABA Well-Being Pledge, we are joining other firms in shedding light on the challenges attorneys and professional staff face and identifying resources and best practices that can make a real difference. Our profession must commit to a meaningful dialogue about mental health and how to support it.”

Dean of Students, University of Pennsylvania Law School

“We do an excellent job training law students how to solve problems for their clients.  Imagine the transformation of our profession’s well-being if we put equal emphasis on empowering lawyers to treat themselves as clients.  We must encourage lawyers to value self-care, prioritize intrinsic motivation, and support empathy and relationship building – ideals we easily transmit to our clients but have difficulty applying to ourselves.  These principles are at the core of our helping profession.”

Chair, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

“Along with client service, our top priority should be ensuring that our people are engaged, fulfilled and able to meet the incredible demands of our profession. Clients come to us with their biggest, most complex, sensitive problems. The stakes are big, the demands significant and, in many cases, the time short. We can’t make the job less demanding, but we can provide our colleagues tools to help them thrive in a challenging environment. We can enable them to be in the best position to have professional and personal lives that are integrated and fulfilling.”

Dean of Students, American University Washington College of Law, National Task Force Member; Vice Chair, ABA CoLAP Law School Assistance Committee

“Law schools are taking many of the approaches being considered by law firms toward greater well-being. As part of your commitment to well-being, consider giving some of your time back to your law school. Offer to meet with students in your practice area, mock interview a few of them, or talk about how your firm is committed to the next generation of healthy lawyers. They will love you for it!”

Chief Executive Officer, Katten

“As a firm leader, it is my job to be a role model and promote well-being as one of my firm’s core values. Working in a law firm in this era of intense competition and change poses well-being challenges for all of our people, not only lawyers. Core to my own well-being has been developing an understanding of how my career fits with the rest of my life—and also recognizing that my family, friends hobbies, and exercise provide fulfillment and balance that I don’t get from my law job.”

Anne Brafford, Chair ABA LP Attorney Well-Being Committee, National Task Force member and Chief Editor of the 2017 Report, Owner of Aspire

“For law firms, caring about lawyer well-being is not just the right thing to do, it’s also good for clients and for business. Healthy lawyers are more engaged and productive. They are more energized to fully contribute to their firms, colleagues, families, and communities.”