Depression and The Law: Maintaining Your Mental Health and Your Practice

Studies have shown us time and time again that working in the field of law can take a toll on your wellbeing. The pressure to win cases, provide for your family, impress the partners, make sure your client is satisfied, and take some time for yourself can be overwhelming. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and with depression running rampant in the field, we’re going to do what many have trouble with: we’re going to talk about it.

In today’s episode host Autumn Chadwell welcomes Dan Lukasik to discuss the stigma behind depression, the symptoms to watch out for, and how to take care of yourself and your practice

Dan is a lawyer, mental health advocate, law professor, and public speaker who has delivered over 250 presentations on stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression across the United States. Dan is an instructor at the New York State Judicial Institute, as well as a member and major contributor to the New York State Bar Association’s Well-Being Task Force. He is the executive producer of three documentaries on mental health and has created two websites: Lawyers with Depression and the Buffalo Depression Project, both dedicated to mental health.

This podcast has been approved by The Florida Bar Legal Specialization and Education Department for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit, including 1.0 hour of Mental Health and Wellness credit. Course #9832

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

• The Florida Bar’s Mental Health and Wellness Center
• Lawyers with Depression
• The Buffalo Depression Project
• How to Be Productive When You’re a Depressed Lawyer (article)
• Lawyer Mental Health: Lawyers Reaching Out to Those with Problems (article)
• How to Support a Loved One with Depression – The Depression Project
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

The legal industry has reached a pivotal turning point where the integration of artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept but a daily operational reality. Recent industry insights suggest that over 80% of legal tasks ranging from contract review and research to client intake now have the potential to be automated or significantly altered by AI. As these technologies begin to handle the routine work traditionally assigned to junior associates, the profession faces a critical shift. Survival in this post-AI landscape requires practitioners across all firm sizes to actively level up their skills to navigate a world where traditional task-based legal work is rapidly evolving.

In today’s episode hosts Christine Bilbrey and Jamie Moore welcome Jordan Furlong, to discuss what firms should be doing to successfully prepare for the reality of the post-AI world is Jordan Furlong.

Jordan Furlong is a forecaster and analyst of trends and developments in the global legal market, a strategic consultant to law firms and legal organizations, and a globally renowned author and speaker in the field of legal services evolution. He is widely considered to be North America’s leading “legal futurist.”

A lawyer by training and a legal journalist by experience, Jordan has been studying critical new developments and discerning emerging patterns in the legal services ecosystem for the last 25 years. Since the launch of his award-winning “Law21” blog in 2008, he has provided incisive commentary and practical guidance to the legal profession worldwide. His 2017 book, Law is a Buyer’s Market, presented a template for the law firm of the future; his upcoming book, The Lawyers We Need, sets out a new lawyer formation system for the post-AI legal sector.

This podcast has been approved by The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Department for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit including 1.0 hour of Technology CLE credit. Course # 9777.

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

• Law Is a Buyer's Market: Building A Client-First Law Firm (Jordan Furlong book)
• JordanFurlong.Substack.com
• Jordan Furlong LinkedIn
• ABA Techshow keynote, Furlong says lawyers need to level up to survive in post-AI world
• The Claude-Native Law Firm (article) Zack Shapiro
• How To Create a Claude- Native AI Law Firm with Zack Shapiro (YouTube video)
• 2026 AI and the Practice of Law Summit ABA Center for Innovation
• AI: Miracle and Menace for the Law Firm Business Model (Crunched Credit by Rick Jones)
• What specifically are Articling Students? (Article by Kooner Priddle Law Group)
• The Role of Intuitive Reasoning in Lawyering and Legal Education (St. Thomas University Law Review)
• What skills do new lawyers need? Lawyers asked to provide answers in new survey (ABA Journal)
• LegalFuel: The Practice Resource Center of The Florida Bar

In today’s episode hosts Christine Bilbrey and Jamie Moore welcome Nicole Browning, of CuraLinc, to discuss the Florida Lawyers Helpline and the additional wellness benefits and resources available through the program.

The practice of law can be extremely stressful. When stress becomes overwhelming, it can affect an attorney’s ability to deliver the best service to their clients. Proactively taking care of mental health issues including stress, anxiety, and depression helps attorneys better serve their clients and can even reduce potential disciplinary actions caused by missed deadlines and unhappy clients. To assist members with these issues, The Florida Bar began offering a 24-hour Helpline and five free therapy sessions back in May of 2020. Florida lawyers, judges, and Florida Registered Paralegals can call 833-FL1-WELL or 833-351-9355 to access it.

Nicole Browning is the Director of Client Success at CuraLinc Healthcare and is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health. She began her career providing direct clinical care to young adults and individuals navigating addiction and recovery, and she continues to hold her LPC today. Nicole now partners with organizations, including state bar associations, to deliver accessible, high-quality mental health programs, bringing together clinical insight and strategic leadership to help remove barriers to care, and support wellbeing.

This podcast has been approved by The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Department for 0.5 hour of General CLE credit including 0.5 hour of Mental Health and Wellness CLE credit. Course # 9719.

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

• Florida Bar Mental Health and Wellness Center
• Florida Lawyers Helpline 833-351-9355
• Online Helpline Web Portal
• Mindfulness and Secondary Trauma (Florida Bar News)
• Five Things Attorneys Should Know About Vicarious Trauma (American Bar Association)
• LegalFuel: The Florida Bar’s Practice Resource Center