Lawyers' Fund For Client Protection
The 2009 Annual Report of the New York Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection has been issued. It contains the following quote:
“In 27 years, only 944 former members of the bar have been responsible for the 6,617 awards granted by the Fund. A complete list of these former lawyers is available on the fund’s website www.nylawfund.org. There are now 253,000 registered lawyers in New york State. The Trustees’ awards in 2009 were attributable to dishonest conduct by 59 now suspended, disbarred or deceased lawyers. Of these 59 former lawyers, 23 were respondents in awards from prior years and the names of 36 dishonest lawyers appear for the first time in 2009 awards.
” Most thefts involve sole practitioners, the majority of which are male and middle-aged. The apparent causes of misconduct by these lawyers are often traced to alcohol or drug abuse. Other causes are economic pressures, mental illness, marital, professional and medical problems, and gambling activity.” [emphasis added]
There is an adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
For this very reason, the Court System created the Lawyer Assistance Trust, to support the works of the lawyer assistance programs in New York, to raise awareness in the legal profession of these issues.
Incremental progress is occurring. A recent New York State Bar Association Lawyer Assistance Committee initiative is a great example. The Committee, under Chairperson Lawrence Zimmerman, developed a “Model Policy for Addressing Impairment”, which will be discussed at the NYSBA House of Delegates meeting soon. The policy recommends parameters for law firms to adopt in addressing impairment issues among their legal professional staff. Copies are available from NYSBA LAP Director Patricia Spataro at (800) 255-0569.
Has your firm [or legal department] considered this policy?