North Carolina Lawyers Assistance Program

01/13/2026

As a judge, as part of our daily job description, we are faced with some of the most difficult and important responsibilities and decisions one can encounter in life. When we were elected or appointed to the bench, no one could have prepared us for the cumulative emotional impact that often results from continual exposure to society’s greatest unresolved social problems. LAP has a cadre of judge volunteers, in recovery themselves, who understand the need for strict confidentiality. Click here:

Judges are exposed day-in-and-day-out to trauma at every level of society. Because of our visibility and role, it can be harder to reach out for assistance when we need it.

01/08/2026

Tuesday, January 13th 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM EST
Online via Zoom

Explore how law firms and legal organizations can build environments that actively protect employee well-being, prevent burnout, and address vicarious trauma at the organizational level.

Join to discover actionable strategies for transforming workplace culture and supporting the mental health of legal professionals from the ground up.



Register here:

01/08/2026

We each must find a way to practice law that does not emotionally demolish us in the process. The LAP provides support and assistance all along the way, and our volunteers share what has worked for them. Read more about Stress & Burnout here:

We each must find a way to practice law that does not emotionally demolish us in the process. The LAP provides support and assistance all along the way and our volunteers share what has worked for them.

01/07/2026

According to the research, theoretically at least, imposter syndrome is usually more prevalent in the earlier years of law practice and tends to diminish with time as one gains confidence and skill in one’s legal practice. We have found, however, with the lawyers we work with, that the feeling of imposter syndrome does not gradually go away with time in the field but persists unless outright addressed with some sort of support or action. Read more here:

Think everybody else has figured out a special something that you have yet to discover? They haven’t. Worried secretly that you are, at best, deficient, at worst, a fraud that has no business practicing law, sitting on the bench, or holding your current position? You aren’t. And you are not alon...

12/30/2025

“When I first started attending LAP and Al-Anon meetings, I listened to other participants and thought, 'I’ll never tell those personal things about myself to anyone, and certainly not in a group!” For a while, as I listened to others, I very much related to their journeys. At some point, the desire to free myself of guilt, shame, and stigma overrode my natural reluctance to talk about myself and my problems to others. I didn’t feel pressured by the group to do so, but I did want what other people had – relief from the burden of silence.” Read more here:

By Reita Pendry The Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP), through its professional staff and a large network of volunteers, provides free confidential assistance to lawyers, judges, and law students in addressing substance abuse, mental health problems, and other stressors that may impair the ability to....

12/18/2025

“Once upon a time, 40+ years ago, a lawyer made a mistake on a legal matter and had a big 'Oh no!' moment. He thought about the mistake from every angle for days. He could not figure out how to fix it. He was in a panic and consumed with shame. He ruminated; he speculated; he predicted that he would be a laughingstock in his small-town legal community. He concluded the only rational course of action was su***de. Fortunately, he was a LAP client at the time. He told his LAP mentor about the mistake he had made. His LAP mentor said, “That’s what you have liability insurance for – for when you make a mistake.” Read the article here:

By Robynn Moraites, Cathy Killian, Nicki Ellington and Candace Hoffman Once upon a time, 40+ years ago, a lawyer made a mistake on a legal matter and had a big “Oh no!” moment. He thought about the mistake from every angle for days. He could not figure out how to fix it. He was in […]

12/15/2025

This lawyer thought all the talk of “self-care” was lovely nonsense. The measure of her worth was calculated in the amount of tangible work done in a day. Unintentionally stumbling into a hobby, however, where there was no competition or expectation of success brought a sense of lightness to this lawyer’s life not felt in a very long time. Listen to this Sidebar podcast episode here:
https://nclap.org/captivate-podcast/40-lovely-nonsense/

You can also read the full article here: https://www.nclap.org/sidebar/2019_4/nonsense.html

You may have noticed a current trend to talk about the importance of “self-care” for busy people—and lawyers are very busy people. The core idea of this is that we must take care of ourselves in order to successfully care for our clients, our families, and our communities. For quite a while, I...

12/09/2025

Impairment Affects the Bottom Line. When an attorney is impaired due to an issue like depression, bipolar disorder, or alcohol or drug problems, the law firm begins to suffer the consequences. The costs can be as obscure as lost opportunity costs of clients taking future work to another firm or as concrete as a drop in billable hours and revenue, professional malpractice claims, or discipline resulting from ethical violations. Lawyer impairment impacts both work quality and law firm reputation. In short, lawyer impairment affects your firm’s bottom line.
Visit our website for more information and resources:

You have invested a lot of time, money, and sweat equity in the ongoing operation and success of your law firm. A great reputation for your firm is based on more than quality work.

12/02/2025

Practice Perspective: Practicing “The Pause+” allows this attorney to avoid rash, “in the moment” decisions or reactions he might later regret. Read More:

“Stop and count to 10” is an age-old maternal mantra for responding to any negative emotional stimuli or adversarial situation. Our mothers didn’t need to be versed in the neuroscience of how this seemingly simple act of pausing allows us to bypass our limbic system and engage our prefrontal c...

11/24/2025

Stuck? Take Quick Inventory: There are certainly well-known aspects of the legal profession that lend themselves to promoting a sense of emotional isolation from friends and family. Read more here:

Happiness. Despite successful careers and material wealth, many lawyers are unhappy. This emotional inventory can help determine whether your stuck.

11/21/2025

You’ve already been at the office for nine hours. The senior partner is on your case about a research memo you haven’t had a chance to begin. That difficult client who insists on calling several times a week to complain about everything under the sun is at it again. Oh, and you’ve got a brief due tomorrow, and you have no idea how you’re going to finish it on time. You’re exhausted and overwhelmed. It’s only Monday! Read the article, “The Enlightened Lawyer: Overcoming Stress and Creating Balance”, here:

You’ve already been at the office for nine hours. The senior partner is on your case about a research memo you haven’t had a chance to begin. That difficult client who insists on calling several times a week to complain about everything under the sun is at it again. Oh, and you’ve got a brief ...

11/17/2025

As a lawyer, you are like a brain surgeon. Imagine the patient is laid out on the table in front of you. It is your job to operate and save his life. You are bringing all of your training, knowledge, and skills to bear to try to save the patient’s life. Now imagine that you have another doctor standing on the other side of the table—equally skilled, equally trained—and his primary goal is to kill the patient that you are trying to save. Now imagine you have 10 to 12 of these patients a day. And now imagine that after you have saved these patients’ lives (and sacrificed time with your own family to do it), the patients are all complaining about your fee and refusing to pay.” Read the article, “Stress, Burnout, and Balance”, here:

Practicing law is stressful. Practicing medicine is stressful, too, but there is a difference, as illustrated in this example we often use in our CLE presentations: As a lawyer, you are like a brain surgeon. Imagine the patient is laid out on the table in front of you. It is your job to operate and....