Technical issues have precluded new postings for a while, but all systems are functioning now.  Here are some LAP activities you may have missed, and others still to come –

The NYSBA LAP Spring Retreat at Silver Bay, Lake George, was remarkable.  The power of sharing by participants and the physical beauty of the setting cannot be overstated.  For those who’ve been undecided about whether to attend, try it next year, it’s worth the trip.

The Capital District Lawyers Helping Lawyers Committee is hosting its first 12-Step weekend, on Saturday, June 13 at McCownville United Methodist Church, 1565 Western Avenue, Guilderland from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, led by Dave P. and Ken A.  A $10 lunch fee will be collected.  To register, or if you have questions, call Aaron B at 518)542-8251 or Larry Z. at 518) 573-5770.

The northeastern regional meeting of LAP directors will take place on Monday, June 15 in Hartford, Connecticut.  NYLAT Vice-Chair Chuck Beinhauer of Buffalo, who serves as the northeastern region’s liaison to the American Bar Association’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs [CoLAP] will host the event.  Representatives from Lawyer Assistance Programs in New York, New Jersey and New England are expected to attend.

Friday, June 19, the NYSBA Lawyer Assistance Committee will hold its mid-year meeting in Cooperstown, in conjunction with a meeting of the NYSBA House of Delegates.  New LAC Chair Lawrence Zimmerman will lead the meeting.

LAP Volunteers and honored guests will be feted at a dinner in New York City on Monday, June 29.  The New York City Bar Association’s LAP and the New York State Bar Association’s LAP are co-sponsoring the event, taking place at the City Bar headquarters, 42 West 44th Street.  Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye will receive the Franklin Gavin Award from the NYSBA LAP in recognition of her outstanding support for lawyer assistance in New York State.

Have you heard about the “red watch band” initiative started at SUNY @ Stony Brook — a campaign against toxic drinking by college students.  Learn more at www.redwatchband.org

Keep in touch.

For many of us, blogging might not be the first method we think to use for communicating with our colleagues. Yet, it’s the latest way to create a community of individuals who share interests – in this case, what’s happening in the legal profession related to lawyer assistance efforts.

With the redesign of the www.NYLAT.org website, it seemed an auspicious moment to launch a blog and see what develops.

The legal blog world is vast and varied. A quick visit to www.law.com yielded two promising links of interest to our readers – www.jdblissblog.com, a blog for attorneys seeking career satisfaction, work/life balance and personal growth; and www.legalsanity.com, a blog by our sometime-contributor Arnie Herz. The New York State Bar Association’s webpage www.nysba.org lists no fewer than 15 blogs, with links for lawyers in transitions and for law students, of particular interest. Let us know if there are other related blogs that you visit.

Those involved in lawyer assistance efforts in New York – whether NYLAT Trustees or staff, Lawyer Assistance Program staff or committee members, or lawyer-helping-lawyer committee members from county bar associations – we already have a strong sense of connection. We hope that by posting periodic messages informing you of relevant articles, policy decisions, CLE programs and meetings, we will enlighten you and refresh your dedication to the work being done.

Better still, we look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Barbara F. Smith, NYLAT Director