Berks Barrister Summer 2018 - 6

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Wellness: Being at Our Best for Ourselves and Our Profession
Continued from page 5

President London was the first female
runner to cross the finish line at the
Dickinson School of Law's 5K benefiting
the Public Interest Law Fund
At its Mid-Year Meeting in Vancouver in February of 2018,
the ABA adopted Resolution 105, encouraging stakeholders in
the legal profession to adopt the recommendations in the Task
Force report, and supporting the goals of reducing mental health
and substance abuse disorders in the legal profession. To read the
report, visit the dedicated website at www.lawyerwellbeing.net.
In our Berks County Bar Association, we are following
the lead of the ABA on emphasizing the need for lawyer
wellness, because, as the ABA states in the summary, "[t]o
be a good lawyer, one has to be a healthy lawyer." We cannot
take care of our clients' needs when we neglect our own. Your

Bar Association leadership team and staff take seriously our
obligations for both the quality of legal services as well as the
quality of life of our lawyers. This involves taking care of our
physical and mental health, and, if necessary, making an honest
self-assessment that there may be a problem, and seeking help.
It involves looking out for our friends and colleagues who may
be having difficulty, listening to them when they reach out to us,
and pointing them to the resources needed, such as those offered
through our Bar Association, PBA, or Lawyers Concerned for
Lawyers (LCL).
As I assumed Bar leadership, I stated my belief that we
needed to make lawyer wellness a priority. I made it clear that
"wellness" would not mean weigh-ins, being dragged to the gym
(although I certainly encourage you to join me for a workout
or a charity 5k run anytime!) or anything else embarrassing or
unpleasant. As a person who appreciates a medium rare filet,
considers chocolate a food group, and enjoys an occasional adult
beverage on a meeting-free night in good company, I assured
you that a wellness initiative would not mean an end to drink
tickets at the Annual and Spring Meetings, red meat on the
menu at our dinners, and/or a chocolate chip cookie in the
box lunches at Committee and Section meetings. I've been a
woman of my word! Those things have not changed, and I will
use my influence with any new Executive Director, whoever he
or she is, to make sure they don't, because quality of life means
enjoyment of the good things in life in moderation.
There have been new and positive developments to share in
the last six months: Our Bar Association Strategic Plan contains
a goal of "Develop Wellness Resources" as a part of expansion of
membership benefits. I am pleased to announce that in the past
six months, we have partnered with two agencies, the YMCA
of Reading and Berks County, and Family Guidance Center,

President London
participating in the
Law Foundation's
Book 'Em

6 | Berks Barrister
http://www.berksbar.org http://www.lawyerwellbeing.net
Berks Barrister Summer 2018

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