From SCOTUS to Single Practitioner: The Stress of the Profession

This is a big week for Supreme Court watchers, as SCOTUS releases the rest of their opinions for the year. These opinions are usually the most controversial ones. In recent years, this has meant that these cases have significant political implications. And recent years (including this year) have also seen some major shifts in long-standing Supreme Court precedents.

These shifting legal standards can cause consternation among the best legal minds, as we all try to unravel the meanings in these cases. For those who rely on these precedents regularly, such as administrative lawyers who used Chevron on a regular basis, this can be a new and uncharted world.

Yet far away from the steps of the Supreme Court building are the many solo practitioners who are equally important to our profession, and in some cases equally stressed (if not more stressed) than their counterparts in the Supreme Court Bar.

Yet it is the Supreme Court cases that get all the media. All the attention. However, it doesn’t change the importance of the attorneys, from SCOTUS to solo practitioners. It also doesn’t change the stress that many feel in this profession, or the lack of openness that fuels a dangerous and sometimes deadly stigma.

The cases decided by the Supreme Court shape the legal landscape of our society. They are of course worth discussing on the national level. But the stigma surrounding mental health challenges in the legal profession is also shaping the legal landscape in an erosive way. And unless we start addressing that reality, too many legal professionals might find the ground shifting under their feet.

That is why the LegalMind Society exists, to shine a light on this issue and help support those lawyers who might find themselves sinking. From SCOTUS to the solo practitioner, we are here to help.

Email info@thelegalmindsociety.org to learn more about the services we offer.