A lawyer was disbarred in Kansas recently. The headlines focused on his rude behavior and on an excessive fee he charged a client. Mark Bennett also wrote about it.
And if you are a lawyer battling a drug problem, or an alcohol problem, or a mental health problem or an emotional problem or any other demon that might get in the way of your helping your clients, I hope you will get help while your license can still be salvaged. Your problems are not going to get any lighter if you ignore them. Pick up the phone and call a friend.
That is solid advice.
I decided to write about this for two reasons. First, it ties in with my last two posts (here and here). Second, it’s important: Don’t be that lawyer. If you are a lawyer reading this and think you have a problem, pick up the phone and call a friend. If your lawyer friend has a problem, get with him and get him help. The South Carolina Bar has a program called Lawyers helping lawyers and it is on the bar website. It is completely confidential.
Bennett ends his post with this:
And if you’ve already alienated all of your friends and you don’t have anyone left to help you, then please: pick up the phone and call me.
That is a good way for me to end this one. My number is (843) 248-7135.
This is such a great post, I was almost tempted to call you up on the number you provided to tell you so in person. But I guess that is not exactly what you had in mind . . .
Thanks Jamison.