Services

LAP offers one-on-one support with a licensed mental health clinician. This may include an initial consultation, an evaluation of your concerns, and short-term counseling to help you better understand what you are experiencing and identify next steps.

Counseling may be available by Zoom or in person. LAP can provide up to 12 counseling sessions, depending on your needs and circumstances.

People contact LAP for many reasons, including stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, substance use concerns, grief, family stress, job dissatisfaction, and other personal or professional challenges. You do not need to know exactly what kind of help you need before reaching out.

LAP provides free consultations for people who are concerned about someone in the legal community. This may include family members, friends, colleagues, employers, law school staff, judges, or others who are worried about a lawyer, judge, or law student.

These consultations can help you think through what you are seeing, how to approach the person with care, and what resources may be available.

Because LAP is confidential, staff may be limited in what they can confirm or share about whether someone has contacted the program. However, LAP can still provide general guidance, recommendations, and support to those who are concerned about someone else.

LAP offers free and confidential online support groups designed to help members of the legal community find support, connection, and practical coping strategies.

Groups meet by Zoom and are facilitated by licensed counselors. Current support group options include groups for women in the law, lawyers with ADHD, federal lawyers, and lawyers dealing with mental health concerns, stress, burnout, depression, or anxiety.

Support groups provide a confidential space to talk openly, learn from shared experiences, and connect with others who understand the demands of legal work.

LAP offers free virtual and on-site programs for legal employers, law students, judges, and members of the legal community. Programs are designed to meet members where they are and provide practical tools for navigating the pressures of legal work.

Topics may include stress and burnout, mental health, substance use and addiction, vicarious trauma, navigating change, impostor syndrome, resilience, and supporting colleagues who may be struggling. Some programs may also include CLE-approved ethics content.

Organizations interested in a LAP presentation or educational program may contact LAP to discuss available topics and scheduling.

LAP can connect individuals with lawyer volunteers who have faced similar challenges and can offer confidential support, encouragement, and perspective.

Peer support may be especially helpful for someone dealing with mental health concerns, substance use concerns, recovery, professional stress, or feelings of isolation. A peer mentor does not replace counseling or treatment, but can provide meaningful connection with someone who understands the pressures of the legal profession.

LAP staff can help determine whether a peer support connection may be a good fit.

LAP provides digital resources to help members learn more about well-being, mental health, recovery, and support within the legal profession.

These resources include the Toward Well-Being podcast, LAP Dispatch newsletter, outreach program recordings, articles, and other materials available through LAP's digital library.

These resources can be a helpful starting point for members who are not yet ready to contact LAP directly or who want to learn more about a particular concern.

When additional support would be helpful, LAP can provide referrals to outside professionals, treatment centers, support groups, and other resources.

LAP can also assist with longer-term support needs, including monitoring and back-to-work facilitation when appropriate. Referrals are tailored to the individual's situation and may include mental health providers, substance use treatment resources, recovery supports, or other wellness-related services.

LAP staff can also follow up to help you stay connected to resources and think through next steps.

If you are unsure whether LAP is the right resource, you are welcome to reach out. LAP staff can talk with you confidentially about your situation, answer questions about available services, and help identify possible next steps.

For more information, please call LAP at 202-347-3131 or email [email protected].

If you are experiencing an immediate crisis or emergency, call 911 or contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. LAP is not an emergency response service.