lucindasoon.com

A couple of new additions to the research database, from the USA and New Zealand. The first is a large-scale study of experiences of bullying in the Illinois legal profession, commissioned by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, with the goal of identifying best practices for preventing it. Qualitative and quantitative data concerning bullying and its effects on individual lawyers as well as the profession as a whole were analysed, including a statewide survey of more than 6,000 Illinois lawyers along with 10 representative focus groups. Responses were provided by lawyers in law firms, corporate law departments, government, public interest and not-for-profit organizations, and the judiciary. The second update is some important research that I missed! Thank you so much to the wonderful person who alerted it to me. It's incredibly heart warming that other academic researchers are signposting me to research to add to the database, and of work they are doing which will be so valuable additions in the near future. The second update then is a comprehensive longitudinal study examining facets of both illbeing and wellbeing in the New Zealand legal profession to gain a more holistic and rounded understanding of lawyers’ and law students’ mental health within that jurisdiction. I am pleased that both studies are now in the database for you to link through and read. Subscribers to my research updates should have received an email within the last hour with details. #lawyers #workplacewellbeing #bullying lucindasoon.com/research

Based on some very helpful feedback, an option to subscribe for research updates to be delivered directly to your email inbox is now available! Your thoughts and suggestions about how the research database can best meet your needs is incredibly important and much appreciated, thank you. Feel free to subscribe for email alerts. You will only ever receive updates about new research that is added to the database. 👉 lucindasoon.com/research #research #lawyers #workplacewellbeing

Ready to go! Looking forward to speaking at the 6th Annual Conference on Wellbeing for Lawyers next week organised by the Legal Training Consultancy. I still remember the inaugural conference - it was the first time I met the amazing James Pereira KC, who has chaired it every year with no exception to this year. I'll be speaking about managing psychosocial risks to manage wellbeing, and I'm hugely excited to hear from all the other speakers 🙌 : Nick Bloy, Richard Martin, Bree Buchanan, Toni Graves, Manu Kanwar, Rebecca Norris, Rob Stephenson⁷ 🐙, and michelle M. Link to register in the comments 👇 (I've gone for a pink theme for my slides this time, from my usual greys and black. Living wild 🦩)

A fascinating and relatively under-researched area of lawyers' wellbeing is the impact of technology leading to technostress. Nathalie Cadieux, Ph.D. CRHA and her brilliant team at the Université de Sherbrooke have been studying this concept for a while. I had the pleasure of meeting Nathalie, Audree B. Camille M.Sc. CRHA and Eveline Morin (among the authors of the new research article below) at a conference last year. In this latest paper to come from their research, they publish an enhanced version of a measurement tool of reaction to techno-stressors among legal professionals. It is quite a technical paper, as the development of new measurement tools must undergo a rigorous process of statistical testing and reporting, with acknowledgements (as have been made) for future research. Nevertheless, I would still recommend practitioners to have a read as it offers interesting insight into a relatively lesser known antecedent to poor wellbeing in the legal profession. Thanks Nathalie et al. for this work, really interesting. https://lnkd.in/ewUFXWtx You can also find the link to this research paper along with a collection of other #research on the topic of #lawyerwellbeing in my growing research bank at lucindasoon.com/research 📚

Our best chance of unlocking a better future for the legal profession is through research and the application of its findings. Research matters because without it we wouldn't have the evidence to make the meaningful and sustainable changes we are increasingly dreaming about. We wouldn't be able to move in any significant way from merely talking about the issues to actually resolving them. With that in mind, it is always a huge delight to see new research underway and new avenues being explored to advance our knowledge and understanding of lawyers' wellbeing. Please consider taking part in this new international research study designed to examine the relationship between perfectionism, mental health challenges, and substance use among lawyers in law firms. It is open to all private practice lawyers around the world and requires only 10 minutes of your time. The link to the questionnaire is in the document attached and in the comments below. Please do take part and share with your legal friends and networks. Thank you Patrick R. Krill, Jordana Confino and Jens Näsström for this work! #researchmatters #lawyers #lawyerwellbeing

Pleased to share this new research published by Marc Mason, University of Westminster in the journal, Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, exploring the use of clinical supervision by lawyers in England and Wales. Abstract: An emerging practice amongst lawyers in England and Wales is the use of clinical supervision, as used by counsellors and psychotherapists. This is a very different type of supervision to that traditionally used by lawyers. It is reflective and relational in nature. It aims to support safe, competent and ethical practice, and to contribute to sustainability, support and resilience including in relation to vicarious trauma and burnout. This study uses interviews with lawyers who are using clinical supervision to understanding why it is being sought, how it might be working and what its impacts are. The interviews provide an opportunity to examine interpersonal dynamics of lawyering. The study explores how supervision allows lawyers to develop their understanding of themselves in relation to others, their boundaries and legal professional skills, and how supervision can contribute to the best interests of the client, and to a lawyer’s career sustainability and wellbeing. You can also find the link to this research paper along with a collection of other #research on the topic of #lawyerwellbeing in my growing research bank at lucindasoon.com/research 📚

Always a pleasure to work with the Mindful Business Charter. Their passion to drive meaningful change in the legal and banking sectors, for healthier and sustainable corporate workplaces, is unparalleled. Honoured to be a part of their journey from the UK to the USA and beyond. Special thanks to MBC’s Richard Martin, Charlotte Clegg MSc, MBACP and Anna Kotwinski for putting together another brilliant event.

New research in England finds line manager training in mental health is associated with improved staff recruitment, staff retention, customer service, business performance, and lower long-term sickness absence due to mental ill-health. Whereas much of the existing research in this area has focused on the impact of line manager mental health training on employee outcomes, this study of company data, collected from an average of 1,800 organisations over 4 years across different sectors, looked specifically at organisational-level outcomes. The findings suggest that line manager training in mental health has business benefits. "𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘔𝘴 [𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴] 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 (𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰) 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘓𝘔𝘴." Interestingly, most organisations in this study had fewer than 50 employees. A common challenge for these organisations is that they often have fewer resources to be as active in mental health promotion. However, line manager training in mental health is a relatively inexpensive intervention to implement at the leader level. It can therefore be deployed in the smallest to largest of organisations. Also of note, the study did not evaluate the quality of the training provided, only the presence or absence of such training. The authors anticipate that the nature of the training (in terms of content, focus and duration) and its perceived quality by managers are likely to be important variables in how impactful the training is to organisational outcomes. I can see how other contextual factors may also be relevant. Nonetheless, the study suggests the presence of line manager training in mental health is associated with better business outcomes compared to having none at all. * Line manager training in mental health is different from mental health first aid training. Whereas the latter is focused on remedial care and support, the former is focused on prevention and improving employees' working conditions and management practices through upskilling line managers. #workplacewellbeing #mentalhealth #linemanagers

Pleased to be contributing to this in-person and virtual summit in New York focused on wellbeing in law firms and in-house legal teams in the US. Links below for more information and to register free.

If we only placed the same level of curiosity, energy and investment into wellbeing innovation in the legal space as we do with legal tech innovation, I can't help but wonder where this could take us. As well as exploring new and creative ways to push the boundaries with technology, we can apply the same thinking and ambition to exploring new and innovative ways to create healthier workplaces. Sometimes I think it might be that simple to accelerate our advancement in this area. At the very least, I think it would certainly be helpful for that shift in mindset, from 'coasting' to actively looking to understand and seek answers, to wanting to design interventions thoughtfully and then testing if they're working. Fine tuning as an ongoing endeavour with many minds and resources invested into this strategic goal. Being curious above all else, applying that same level of questioning and creativity, which the legal tech space is brimming with, but applying that to how can we do better to protect our most valuable asset... our people. Not waiting until we see some other firm doing it, but aiming to be leading the front with new ideas. Just a thought, which the more I think about it, the more I think that has to be where we start. With those who can make it happen leading with curiosity, drive, and innovation. #lawfirms #workplacewellbeing #innovation