North Carolina Lawyers Assistance Program

02/18/2026

The Overwhelmed Brain: As lawyers, we always assert our position, and we are quite sure we are right. We may indeed be. As we head into election season, however, it can be helpful to remember the value of our relationships and put our relationships above our own need to be right. Read more:https://nclap.org/sidebar/2024-3/overwhelmed.html

02/10/2026

Decision dilemmas arise when the “right” path isn’t immediately clear, and the stakes for making the “wrong” choice are high. As attorneys and judges, we regularly encounter decision dilemmas. Our legal training sharpens our ability to see all sides of an argument, which is a crucial skill in legal practice. However, our aptitude to hold competing viewpoints can turn into a burden when it leads to over-analysis and impedes committing to a single course of action. Read the article here: https://www.nclap.org/sidebar/2025-summer-sidebar/deconstructing-decision-dilemmas/

This Mindful Moment is also a featured podcast episode: Deconstructing Decision Dilemmas. Listen here: https://www.nclap.org/captivate-podcast/45-deconstructing-decision-dilemmas/

02/02/2026

Practice Perspective: This lawyer has found a simple and refreshing way to bring a little bit of joy into a stressful day. Read more: https://www.nclap.org/sidebar/2025-summer-sidebar/practice-perspective/

01/26/2026

Roadmap to Healing: We at the Lawyers Assistance Program write and talk about the fight/flight/freeze response in law practice all the time. As a result, many lawyers across the state have come to understand how we, as lawyers and judges, may struggle with compassion fatigue and secondary trauma from repeated exposure to client trauma. While many of us are exposed to the traumatic experiences of our clients, we don’t often think in terms of experiencing trauma first-hand, personally or professionally. Read more here:

We at the Lawyer Assistance Program write and talk about the fight/flight/freeze response in law practice all the time. As a result, many lawyers across the state have come to understand the ways in which we, as lawyers and judges, may struggle with compassion fatigue and secondary trauma from repea...

01/23/2026

Well-Being: LAP volunteers and clients use the strategies and suggestions identified below to maintain and prioritize their personal well-being. You can, too.

LAP volunteers and clients use the strategies and suggestions identified below to maintain and prioritize their personal well-being. You can, too.

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...