Well-Being - Law Society of Alberta

These resources assist lawyers in making their own physical, mental and emotional well-being a priority and support their capacity to practise competently. They help lawyers manage the stresses of practice in the ways that are effective for their individual circumstances in order to provide high-quality legal services and promote healthy workplaces.

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Resource	Description	Topic	Audience	Format	Publisher
Assist	The mission of the Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society is to provide confidential help to lawyers, law students and their immediate families with personal issues.	Build Resilience, Maintain Personal Health	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Website	External Source
Ethically Speaking: Addiction	A lawyer who knows that a colleague is impaired bears the burden of ensuring steps are taken to protect client interests, and may carry an additional burden: worry for their colleague. Empathy, the ability to share or understand another’s experiences, can help the lawyer navigate the difficult path of addressing lawyer impairment.	Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Ethically Speaking: Civility and Burnout	Civility is a concrete tenet of practice. In R v Felderhof, the Ontario Court of Appeal notes that civility is not merely an adornment. It holds the legal profession together and contributes to a just society. Uncivil conduct, conduct that is abrasive, hostile or obstructive, impedes the court’s ability to resolve conflict in a fair, efficient and effective manner.	Build Resilience, Self-Awareness	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Ethically Speaking: Competence and Wellness	If competence means doing something successfully or efficiently, a lawyer’s competence includes additional esoteric components.	Maintain Personal Health, Self-Awareness	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Ethically Speaking: How Do I Minimize and Manage Conflict With Clients and Other Lawyers?	Managing conflict with clients involves training clients to understand how the lawyer practises, educating them that not only is the lawyer not the aggressor they see on television programs, but that their interests are not served by such aggression for aggression’s sake. Taking steps at the beginning of a file to set out the lawyer’s practice style can allow the client to assess whether the practice style aligns with their values.	Build Resilience, Self-Awareness	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Ethically Speaking: Immune-Compromised Work Expectations	What should I do if I’m immune compromised or someone in my family is immune-compromised but I’m still expected to come into work?	Maintain Personal Health	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Ethically Speaking: Linking Civility and Well-Being	A key strategy in developing resilience to incivility is mindfulness, also characterized as mental flexibility. Practising mindfulness increases awareness of stress triggers and the accompanying thoughts and feelings that arise from them, which in turn can reduce impulsive reacting to those stressors.	Build Resilience, Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Mental Health in the Legal Profession: Your Obligations and How to Help	If you suspect a mental health issue is affecting another lawyer’s practice, what should you do?	Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Psychological First-Aid: Alcohol Use	Substance use is a major problem. For professionals, like lawyers, whose job is safety-sensitive and decision-critical, chronic alcohol use would put those they serve at increasing risk. On average five per cent of lawyers seeking assistance from Lawyer’s Assist present with the primary issue being alcohol and/or drug problems.	Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society and External Collaboration
Psychological First-Aid: Helping the Stressed/Distressed Individual	The stress and distress that we experience is the result of many factors including work, family, finances, parenting, health, and fear about the future, to name a few.	Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society and External Collaboration
Psychological First-Aid: Stepping Up to the Plate	Psychological First-Aid (PFA) is an evidence-based intervention designed to reduce an individual’s level of stress or distress and to foster short and long-term adaptive functioning and coping. It is a supportive intervention designed to help the individual help themselves.	Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society and External Collaboration
Psychological First Aid: Stress and Burnout	Do you feel helpless, disillusioned and completely exhausted due to constant stress? If so, you may be on the road to burnout. Psychologists use the term “burnout” in work world contexts to define a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.	Build Resilience, Maintain Personal Health	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society and External Collaboration
Psychological First Aid: The Power of Kindness	Research has found that performing acts of kindness reduces stress, increases happiness, reduces blood pressure, reduces pain, boosts health and increases longevity. In essence, spreading kindness not only benefits others by helping them to feel better, it also benefits the giver.	Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society and External Collaboration
Psychological First-Aid: Understanding Internal Conflict at Work	Workplace conflict is not just limited to conflict with colleagues, bosses and organizations, but can have far reaching implications not only for the practice of law but for the personal and mental well-being of lawyers and their families.	Maintain Personal Health, Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society and External Collaboration
A Word on Wellness: Dear Advy: Well Meaning, Well-Being Advice	Dear Advy is an advice column by the Canadian Bar Association. Members of the legal community can submit questions anonymously on anything and everything related to well-being, dealing with stress and succeeding under pressure. If a question is chosen, Advy will respond with advice and helpful resources.	Maintain Personal Health, Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
A Word on Wellness: Empathy in Practice	Empathy is a critical skill to help effectively meet clients’ needs. The notion that a lawyer’s role is to dispassionately focus on the facts ignores the reality that for most clients, emotions cannot be separated from the issues at hand. It is important to remember that being empathetic does not mean you need to agree with everything your client says or become emotionally invested in their circumstances. Nor should empathy be equated with attempting to be a counsellor for your client.	Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
A Word on Wellness: How to Talk About Addiction With Dignity	Words matter and when it comes to talking about the disease of addiction, we can all do a little better and expand our vocabulary to those living with or experiencing the impact of substance use disorder.	Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Law Firms and Security Strategies for Today's World	Lawyers must pay as much attention to their physical security as they do to the security if trust funds and electronic data. Learn about best practices for securing your office and ensuring the safety of your staff.	Maintain Personal Health, Support Others	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Well-Being in Practice Supplemental Resource Package	Created for 2022's Well-Being in Practice Summit, this supplemental resource package contains links to resources and supports compiled from the Law Society, ASSIST, ALIA and CBA-Alberta.	Build Resilience, Maintain Personal Health, Self-Awareness, Support Others	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Guide	Law Society and External Collaboration
Guiding Principles of Parental Leave	Learn about the rules and application of the Canada Labour Code covering when natural and adoptive parents are eligible for and can start parental leave.	Maintain Personal Health, Support Others	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Guide	External Source
Parental Leave – Basic Rules & Eligibility	Learn about the rules and application of the Employment Standards Code covering maternity and parental leave	Maintain Personal Health, Support Others	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Guide	External Source
OBA.org – Managing Parental Leave as a Practicing Lawyer – Perpectives from a Mom of Four	Amelia Yu shares her story of navigating parental leave in private practice and the importance of individual and employer supports.	Maintain Personal Health, Support Others	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Article	External Source
Staying Safe: How to Manage Threats and Physical Violence Risks in the Legal Profession	Lawyers being subjected to threats or physical violence while carrying out their work is a growing concern. It is important that lawyers take proactive steps to minimize the potential for experiencing harm and have a plan should they find themselves in an unsafe situation.	Maintain Personal Health, Support Others	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Article	Law Society of Alberta
2022–2024 National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada Reports	The Federation of Law Societies of Canada Omnibus Report for the National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada offers a detailed analysis of the mental health risks and protective factors identified among legal professionals, and a series of actionable recommendations tailed to improve the overall well-being of legal professionals. The Federation’s Resource Library also includes the health and well-being priorities specific to the practice of law in Alberta.	Build Resilience, Self-Awareness, Support Others, Maintain Personal Health	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Article, Paper/Journal	External Source
New Lawyer Welcome Webinar	In this Aug. 27, 2024 recorded webinar, the Law Society of Alberta, the Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society, the Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association, the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch and the Legal Education Society of Alberta provide an overview of what each organization offers and how to access the different resources and supports available.	Build Resilience, Maintain Personal Health	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Webinar	Law Society and External Collaboration
Civility Best Practices	Civility is not only a professional obligation owed to clients, opposing counsel and parties, the courts and all other persons with whom lawyers have dealings, it ensures that the legal process functions smoothly without unnecessary distractions. Learn about conduct considered to be uncivil, the impact of incivility, and best practices for maintaining civility.	Self-Awareness, Build Resilience	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Accessibility in the Legal Profession Webinar: Opportunities for Change-Making and Discussion	On Dec. 3, 2024, the Law Society of Alberta hosted a webinar about what employers and lawyers can do to better accommodate colleagues and clients with disabilities. The webinar began with a presentation on how systemic strategies in Ontario have advanced accommodations for persons with disabilities and recurring barriers that need to be fixed and offered action-oriented solutions. A panel discussion followed that addressed the value of creating respectful environments within law firms and organizations to have open and honest conversations about accessibility for lawyers and clients with disabilities.	Maintain Personal Health, Support Others	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Webinar	Law Society and External Collaboration
Overcoming and Understanding Imposter Syndrome	This November 2024 recorded video hosted by the Law Society of Alberta addresses overcoming and understanding imposter syndrome. The panel of legal and mental health professionals discuss what imposter syndrome is and provide information and tools to support those that may be struggling with imposter syndrome.	Maintain Personal Health, Self-Awareness, Support Others	In-House, Government & Non-Profit, Management, Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Webinar	Law Society and External Collaboration

Educational resources in this section are intended for the legal profession as an aid and are not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice. Readers must exercise their professional judgment about the accuracy, utility and applicability of the material. The Law Society of Alberta and Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA) accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions in any resource. If you find any information that is unclear, inaccurate or outdated, please send an email with details to Education.

Any third-party resources are suggested for information and reference only. The Law Society and ALIA are not responsible for the accuracy, content or information contained in these sites. Views expressed in these resources are the views of the authors individually and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Law Society or ALIA.