Trauma in the Courtroom

At first glance, the courtroom might not seem like a traumatizing place for lawyers and legal professionals to be. After all, litigators make their living in court settings. However, secondary trauma, which is the process of being traumatized by the materials and stories, including evidence, can be a serious problem for legal professionals.

Criminal attorneys, family law attorneys, and personal injury attorneys are the types most likely to be exposed to traumatizing evidence and stories, but it can happen to any attorney depending on the circumstances. Seeing evidence of violent crimes, broken families, and personal injuries can and do have traumatizing impacts on the lawyers who handle those cases.

Unfortunately, those who are dealing with secondary trauma might be reluctant to seek help. They might be reluctant to show anything that they consider to be a weakness, or they might dismiss their symptoms as not being related to trauma. Too many people still consider trauma to be from battlefields and broken homes. Yet the lawyers who handle cases like these can be just as traumatized.

Some deal with it by isolating themselves. Some self medicate with drugs and alcohol or some other type of addiction (more on that next week), and some burnout altogether, which is the last thing we want to see.

Yet if you are struggling with this type of secondary trauma, there is hope. Trauma can be broken down through therapy. Other services, like peer support, can also help support you through the acute struggles associated with some of these traumas. If this is something you are dealing with, know that you are not alone. Help is available. Email us at info@thelegalmindsociety.org or call us at 630-614-1776 to learn more.