A Committee of the Oklahoma Bar Association

A Referral Resource for Lawyers who May Be Impaired Due to Substance Abuse or Other Emotional or Physical Causes

1-800-364-7886
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Hotline Answered by LifeFocus Counseling

LAWYERS HELPING LAWYERS COMMITTEE

The Lawyers Helping Lawyers Committee (LHL) was first established by the Oklahoma Bar Association in 1985 and is a program to assist members who are having difficulties that adversely affect their practice.

The purpose of the LHL Committee is to develop and maintain an organization within the Oklahoma Bar Association which can respond to and assist the impaired attorney through direct contact and appropriate referral, to assure the public of competent and quality legal representation.

The work of the committee is designed to be informal, helpful, confidential and responsive to the special situation faced by the impaired attorney.

The committee does not provide treatment.

WHAT IS AN IMPAIRED LAWYER?

The overwhelming majority of calls received by the LHL program, and by similar programs in other state bar associations, deal with lawyers whose lives and practices are being ruined by a drug or alcohol abuse problem. This is not at all surprising because some researchers have estimated a 15 percent rate of alcoholism and other substance abuse among professionals. This means there could be as many as 1,400 lawyers in Oklahoma in one stage or another of chemical dependency. To address this problem, the program has a network of lawyers who are well acquainted with the disease of alcoholism or chemical dependency and who are willing to devote their time and energy to help others find recovery.

Other attorneys can sometimes be crippled by depression or other emotional problems. Committee members are also prepared to deal with problems due to physical illness, as well as senility, divorce or stress.

HOW THE COMMITTEE WORKS

Lawyers Helping Lawyers provides CONFIDENTIAL help to an impaired lawyer. By statute and by OBA resolution, any information received by the program must remain completely confidential. The committee’s 800 number is answered by LifeFocus counseling. Information regarding a possibly impaired lawyer is often received from the lawyer himself or herself, or from family, friends, partners, even clients. Once contact is made, the lawyer is referred directly to an LHL Committee member who then begins a confidential referral and continues to assist the impaired lawyer in seeking help.

If you fear that you or some lawyer has become impaired and you want to get confidential help to determine whether an impairment exists and/or help for that impairment, simply call (800) 364-7886.

Your call will be confidential.

RECOVERY IS THE GOAL

The committee does not involve itself in punishing, disciplining or otherwise inventing consequences for any impaired lawyer. Our goal is to assist attorneys to return to full health and to regain their ability to serve the public competently.

However, from time to time, the Oklahoma Supreme Court will require that a lawyer who is already undergoing disciplinary proceedings be monitored and assisted by the LHL Committee according to Supreme Court guidelines.

We hope the information contained in the pamphlet will encourage impaired attorneys, their colleagues, friends and families to seek confidential assistance.

• Call in Confidence
• Personal Attention
• Referral for Substance Abuse
• Referral for Depression
• Referral for Other Emotional and Physical Problems
• Statewide Assistance