Get a Life
By Bill Conger

My predecessor, Stephen Beam, captioned his first letter in the Oklahoma Bar Journal “We’ve Got a Problem!” He was referring to his concern about the number of lawyer suicides, one a month for almost a year. Many of us shared Stephen’s concern and still do. Of course, we will never know whether their choosing to take their own life was because they were lawyers — hopefully not. But what we do know is this:

• In a survey of 105 occupations, lawyers ranked first in experiencing depression — four times more likely to be depressed than the general population.
• In studies conducted in Washington and Arizona, it was found that one-third of lawyers showed symptoms of clinical depression or substance abuse — a statistic that is double the national average for disorders of this type.
• Lawyers who suffer from depression consider suicide in numbers that are alarmingly high — and those who consider suicide are more likely to carry out that intent.
• In the United States, the number of practicing lawyers with alcohol or drug problems is twice the national average.
• Substance abuse exists in a significant number of disciplinary complaints brought against lawyers.

We also know that many are leaving our profession citing burnout, job dissatisfaction, stress and disillusionment. I am concerned about it, and I hate to see people leaving a profession that I have found so fulfilling for 38 years.

For some time now I have been focusing on work/life balance, thus this special issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal. Many of the articles contributed are from members of our Work/Life Balance Committee, chaired by Melanie Jester. This standing committee is constantly addressing issues of work/life balance. It has created an outstanding Web site which you can access at www.okbar.org/members/worklife/Default.htm. Each month the site features different topics, links to other similar Web sites and archived articles on previously addressed topics.

Getting lawyers to live balanced lives will not happen overnight. Our profession requires long hours and commitment. Lawyering is hard. I believe we need to change our culture. Simply stated, we need to get a life — to take care of ourselves physically and spiritually and have balance in our work/life. We need to improve ourselves intellectually by taking courses, teaching classes, reading good books and learning more about art and the humanities, history, philosophy and literature. This will develop our souls and ultimately take us to the realm of wisdom.

Here is what the novelist Anna Quindlen says:

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over Seaside Heights, a life in which you stop and watch how a red tailed hawk circles over the water or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a Cheerio with her thumb and first finger. Get a life in which you are not alone. Find good friends and people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beers and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister.

I hope you enjoy this important edition of the bar journal.

Sincerely,

To contact President Conger, e-mail him at bconger@okcu.edu