Berks Barrister Winter 2018 - 40

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Book Review

Continued from page 39

among young attorneys is through the roof, according to the
study, with lawyers under thirty at 31.9% and junior associates at
law firms at 31.1%.
Despite Mr. Cuban's apparent lack of a thesaurus or possible
fascination with the word "according," it is clear that lawyers
and not just young lawyers, have an issue of concern. Mr.
Cuban's openness and honesty in revealing his journey is in fact
compelling. However, in my opinion, the extent of drug/alcohol
abuse and untreated mental health issues amongst attorneys as
a whole is the real story. His admittedly anecdotal survey of
young attorneys and those who have been practicing in and out
of recovery begs the question: why attorneys?

Is there something within those who desire to practice
the law that draws out both the inclination to alter their
consciousness and the stubbornness of denial? After all, we
are the ones who advise. Perhaps we feel it to be surrender
or even a defeat of some kind to take advice? We solve others'
problems. Therefore, do we not have our own? Is it that we
see so much of humanity's worst aspects? Is it because we are
able to argue multiple sides of a single question that we inure
ourselves to the meaning of our own symptoms? Do we practice
professional distance to the extent that we distance ourselves
from our own behavior? Is it our own quasi-narcissistic concern
with our image, fear of appearing weak or worse; unreliable and
ineffective?
As an attorney with some twenty years in recovery, my
response to those concerns is this. The answer is (drum roll) the
work. The proof is in the pudding. In other words, actuality
trumps image. When image becomes the priority, attorneys

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have a problem. The more likely their performance will suffer,
as well as their clients. When image trumps performance,
performance suffers. Work suffers. For this addicted lawyer
the "prop," the bottle of rye in the desk drawer, replaced the
protagonist of the play. Thus, impacting his health and life.
Had his, or would his image become more important than his
performance? Maybe not today. Perhaps soon. And certainly
inevitably. My own moment of clarity that I had a drinking
problem certainly saved my life. And I imagine it saved my
work as well. So too, the attorney who places performance -
his work - above image will, by his/her representation, have
a positive impact on his own life and the life of his/her client.
But I wax. Perhaps the question of "why lawyers" is
irrelevant. If we are to live up to our sobriquet as Doctors
of Jurisprudence, we must address the issues of addiction
in our own ranks. In order to do so, we must allow for our
own humanity. Perhaps by recognizing our own foibles
and frailties we will then better understand our clients, our
attorney colleagues, judges, juries, and all fellow citizens.
Perhaps we can even write better Laws.
The Addicted Lawyer is a worthy read.
On January 2, 2018 Philadelphia attorney John Rodgers
Carroll passed away. His obituary in the Philadelphia Inquirer
is also a worthy read. John was one of the founding fathers
of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. To talk to a lawyer in
recovery call the LCL at 1-888-999-1941. Or check out
lclpa.org.
Oh. I almost forgot. As Dickens' Ghost of Christmas
Future profoundly taught, our fates rely on our actions in the
present, and "the shadows of the things that would have been
may be dispelled."
Richard Alan Joyce, Jr., Esquire, is an Assistant Public
Defender.

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40 | Berks Barrister
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Berks Barrister Winter 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks Barrister Winter 2018
