Each January, the new year brings new hope—hope for new beginnings, hope that things can improve, and hope that change is possible.
This year, the CBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee is rolling out its first annual Well-Being Pledge. The pledge seeks a commitment from legal employers to promote lawyer well-being and healthy work environments. While the legal community has gradually been tuning-in to the value in promoting lawyer well-being, the pandemic and multitude of other stressors arising since March 2020 have accelerated this recognition by necessity.
When thinking about lawyer well-being, I tend to define it broadly, encompassing both the individual and organizational levels. The significance of organizational leaders promoting healthy work environments, and role modeling healthy work and self-care habits, cannot be overstated; meaningful change in legal culture around these areas must occur from the top-down. The Well-Being Pledge reflects aspects of well-being at both the individual and organizational levels.
As we move past 2020, resiliency is key. The most resilient people and organizations will not be looking to return to where things were before, but rather will be responding to and building upon what they have learned during a time that challenged us more than we ever thought possible.
During this time of new year’s hope, I am hopeful that the legal community is finally recognizing the need to promote well-being at both the individual attorney and staff member level, as well as the need to role model it and support it at the law firm leadership level. If you are a law firm leader, ask yourself what you are doing to promote a healthy work environment, whether you are somehow standing in the way of progress in this area, and what you can do going forward.
Wishing you a 2021 full of positive new beginnings!
Traci
Traci Cipriano, JD, PhD
Co-Chair, CBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee