President’s Message: Your Best Work Starts With You: Put Lawyer Well-Being High on Your ‘To-Do’ List
6.8.2026
“If I can only make it to Friday,” I thought while I was coughing, congested and fatigued, “I can sleep in and rest to beat this cold.” It was Wednesday. I had several meetings to lead, 20 things on my “to-do” list to complete and two PowerPoint presentations I needed to finish. I took two more DayQuil liquid gel pills and kept working. I made it to Friday and slept in over the weekend. Did I feel better Monday? Somewhat . . . it took me four more days before I fought off the cold.
I am sure this is a story you can relate to. Self-care for many lawyers is at the bottom of their “to-do” lists. We take pride in powering through illness, working late nights or coming in on weekends to stay ahead to get the job done.
The pandemic encouraged a shift in this mindset, moving self-care higher on the list through virtual meetings, remote work and more supportive employers. For many of us, however, it is still not closer to the top of the list. Focusing on topics of attorney loneliness, the success of the association’s Lawyer Assistance Program, and mental health and the bar exam, this issue of the Bar Journal serves as a reminder that self-care belongs among the top five on your “to-do” list.
My contribution to this reminder in my inaugural President’s Message is to let you know that the association has your back! Our mission is to be the leading voice of the profession by advancing the professional success of our members, equal access to justice and the rule of law. To advance your professional success, I highlight three ways the association can help you put self-care among the top five on your “to-do” list!
Reframing: Self-care as ‘a professional and ethical imperative’
Historically, attorney well-being was seen as a private matter, often overshadowed by professional duties. The association realized that the stories of our members and data about high levels of substance abuse and stress in the profession revealed that lack of attention to well-being negatively impacted an attorney’s professional duties. Through thoughtful research, the association’s Task Force on Attorney Well-Being 2021 Report and Recommendations concluded that self-care is a professional and ethical imperative.
The official position of the association reframes attorney well-being as a collective responsibility for the legal profession. Self-care is like an airplane oxygen mask: You have to be able to breathe first before you can help others. The report emphasizes attorney well-being’s relevance to the Duty of Competence under the Rules of Professional Conduct.
The report urges legal employers to foster supportive work environments. Prioritizing self-care not only enhances service to clients but also benefits legal employers by reducing turnover, improving client satisfaction and increasing profitability. By viewing wellness as an integral part of professional life, the legal community can create sustainable practices that support both individual lawyers and the broader profession.
Tools: The Committee on Attorney Well-Being
Building on this commitment, the association adopted the task force’s recommendation to create a Committee on Attorney Well-Being to offer practical resources to support attorney wellness. The committee advances key initiatives, including implementing report recommendations, evaluating the Lawyer Assistance Committee’s role in cross-committee collaborations and developing outreach programs for attorneys facing formal discipline. The committee advocates for CLE reform — changes to continuing legal education requirements that promote skills development and wellness-focused learning — and expands ethics credit for preventive efforts in public trust and ethics.
Additionally, the committee has created online and virtual resources on self-care, promoting a “Law Firm Roadmap for Well-Being Best Practices” that encourages social and physical activities and collaborating with the court system to establish a referral network of clinicians experienced in treating legal professionals. Together, these efforts demonstrate the committee’s proactive approach to embedding wellness practices throughout the legal community, making self-care accessible and integral for attorneys.
The Attorney Well-Being Program is a key resource. Using the Eight Pillars model — which covers mental health, physical health, social connection and other vital aspects — the program provides resources for stress management and burnout prevention. These include a newsletter, digital resources and virtual communities for peer support.
Annual Meeting 2027: Wellness and Self-Care Expo
In addition to ongoing initiatives, the association is launching new events to further promote self-care. “When you don’t put yourself first, you’re teaching everyone that you come second,” says Mel Robbins, a lawyer turned podcaster and self-care advocate. “Your mental health is everything – prioritize it. Make the time like your life depends on it, because it does.”
The committee will launch a new program in 2027, encouraging lawyers to start the year with self-care as their focus. Mark your calendars for the 2027 Annual Meeting and the debut of the Wellness and Self-Care Expo — an energizing event dedicated to attorney well-being. The Expo will feature seminars on stress management, work-life balance and holistic wellness, as well as vendors showcasing mindfulness tools and healthy lifestyle products. Whether you seek practical strategies or innovative resources, the Expo offers a vibrant environment for legal professionals to discover new ways to prioritize their health and embed self-care in their routines.
Save the dates, Tuesday, January 19 – Friday, January 22, and take part in this restorative experience. Prioritizing wellness is essential for sustaining long-term success and satisfaction in the practice of law.
Redefining Success in Law
The association is committed to redefining success in the legal profession — moving away from a culture that tolerates burnout, stigmatizes help-seeking and rewards unsustainable work practices toward one that treats attorney well-being as a professional and ethical imperative.
Self-care is not a luxury or an afterthought; it is foundational to a fulfilling and effective legal career. By embracing this ethos, lawyers can sustain their passion for the law, serve their clients with excellence and lead lives marked by balance and well-being.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes — including you,” observed Anne Lamott, American novelist and nonfiction writer. For lawyers, this means recognizing the restorative power of self-care: stepping back, even briefly, to regain clarity and effectiveness.
President Taa Grays can be reached at tgrays@nysba.org.
