MassBar Beat Massachusetts Bar Association

If you’re working in the legal profession and struggling, it’s OK to ask for help. In this episode, host Jordan Rich moderates an important discussion about lawyer well-being with Amanda Rowan, an assistant clerk magistrate and co-chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Lawyer Well-Being Committee; Rebecca Green Neale, an attorney in private practice; and Shawn Healy, PhD., a clinical psychologist with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. Hear personal accounts about some of the ways that lawyers and law students experience burnout, stress, vicarious trauma and other challenges, as well as some of the helpful resources available to lawyers and law students in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission is charged with creating a mandatory certification process for police officers, as well as processes for decertification, suspension of certification, and retraining in the event of certain misconduct. In this episode, POST Commissioner Marsha Kazarosian, a past Massachusetts Bar Association president, speaks with host Jordan Rich about the POST Commission's formation and ongoing work.

The Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being (“SJC Committee”) has released the 2020-21 Lawyer Census Report – the first lawyer census report ever conducted in Massachusetts. The census was based on results of the Attorney Demographic and Law Practice Survey, which is now a mandatory part of the registration process. In this episode of the MassBar Beat, Heidi Alexander, the director of the SJC Committee, talks with host Jordan Rich about the results of the census and what it means for lawyers going forward. To access the census, visit: https://lawyerwellbeingma.org.

In this episode host Jordan Rich speaks with Massachusetts Bar Association Mock Trial Committee members and co-chairs, teacher coaches, student participants and judges. Each of them offer a keen perspective of their involvement in the MassBar’s High School Mock Trial Program with the hope that others will volunteer and participate in this year’s program and future competitions.

Continuing its commitment to cultivating leaders who work diligently toward the improvement of our profession and our society, the Massachusetts Bar Association developed a Leadership Academy to better prepare young attorneys to assume leadership roles at the bar, in their firms or organizations, and in government. In this episode, host Jordan Rich talks to Nicole Cocozza, an attorney at Prince Lobel, about the practical skills and insights she learned as a graduate of the most recent MBA Leadership Academy class.

In this episode, MBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee Co-chair Marianne C. LeBlanc and lawyer-turned-therapist Andrew Kang, JD, LICSW, talk with host Jordan Rich about the increased stress and pressure that lawyers feel generally and especially around the holidays. In addition to offering coping strategies, they encourage lawyers to seek help when needed and embrace individual wellness as a normal and necessary part of their professional journey.