Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting Attorney Mental Health and Ethics: Wellness, Suicide Prevention, and Professional Responsibility, alongside attorney and mental health advocate Bruce Simpson, JD, MSW.
Bruce’s willingness to openly share his personal journey brought extraordinary depth to our conversation about the pressures facing the legal profession—including perfectionism, stigma, professional identity, and the very real consequences of suffering in silence.
We explored not only attorney mental health, but the connection between well-being and our ethical responsibilities—including competence, diligence, and communication.
Thank you Wickard and Oliver Roberts for creating space for this important conversation, and a very special thank you to Bruce for his vulnerability, courage, and commitment to helping others.
Mental health and professional excellence are not separate conversations. Taking care of the person behind the professional is part of protecting both.