February CLE: Wellness - Protect Yourself and Your Practice

The WBA's own Treasurer, Leigh Freeman, will present an overview of how a lawyer’s mental health affects their fiduciary responsibilities and ethical obligations to clients. Specifically, Rule 1.01. Competent and Diligent Representation of The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct will be examined in the context of mental health. We, as attorneys, owe a duty of care, competence, and diligent representation to our clients, but we need to be able to care for ourselves before we can care for others. We will discuss the importance of attorney mental health, the ramifications of untreated mental illness, available resources such as TLAP (Texas Lawyers Assistance Program), and best practices for fostering and maintaining self-care.