How Attorneys With ADHD Can Manage Their Careers
10.16.2026
For many attorneys, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can be both a boon and a burden for their practices. While symptoms like intense focus and pattern recognition can help with the practice of law, other symptoms like poor time management and executive function challenges can impede legal work.
The New York State Bar Association hosted a webinar on strategies attorneys with ADHD can use to manage symptoms and their careers. Nearly 300 people attended.
Allison Hind, social worker for the New York State Bar Association’s Lawyer Assistance Program, led the webinar.
“I have ADHD myself,” said Hind. “I’m disclosing that so that I can use myself as an example. But when I do that, I want to make clear that there’s nothing in this program that I’ve included just because it’s helpful for me. I always have a stronger evidence base than that to go by. It’s just that my experience is the one that I can share.”
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. According to a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, 12.5% of participating attorneys have been diagnosed with ADHD – twice as much as the general population.
“My experience of managing ADHD is as if I have an adult and an unruly toddler in my brain at the same time,” said Hind. “In order for the adult to do what she needs to do, she has to find a way to keep the toddler occupied so that the toddler isn’t just creating chaos.”
Hind discussed structuring the work environment to be conductive to work. Like taking items off a desk that are not related to the immediate task. Or adding stimulation like playing music as background noise for boring tasks.
Other ways to remind the ADHD brain to stay on task include:
- Timers.
- Visible clocks.
- Planners, to-do lists, and deadline reminders.
- Dressing professionally.
Hind also discussed strategies to work with an ADHD brain, like gamifying tasks and leveraging hyperfocus for the most productive times of day and most interesting cases.
“Delegate the things that don’t really interest you and have a hard time getting through, if possible,” said Hind. “Sometimes these things will cost money. But paying to delegate things to an accountant can sometimes end up being cheaper than the fees or penalties that come from trying to do it yourself and dropping the ball.”
Hind said it was important to evaluate and reevaluate strategies to determine what works. She listed troubleshooting questions in order to determine if a strategy needs to be adjusted or if an issue is popping up because of changes in one’s personal life.
The New York State Bar Association’s Lawyer Assistance Program has many resources available – including a new ADHD support group for attorneys that starts on Oct. 21. Interested attorneys should email Hind at ahind@nysba.org.
The webinar was sponsored by the association’s Lawyer Assistance Committee. View the full program here.
