SBAND PRESIDENT
A VOCATION OF SERVICE TO OTHERS
HON . DOUG BAHR SBAND President
Mahatma Gandhi said , “ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others .” Another wise person similarly expressed , “ The only way to be truly happy is to lose yourself in the service of others .” Anon .
Many philosophers and great thinkers emphasize that acts of service benefit the person engaged in the service in addition to the recipients of the service . “ For centuries , the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing : Happiness is found in helping others .” 1 In fact , studies highlight some of the benefits of serving others , including increased individual happiness , reduced stress , improved mental and physical wellbeing , and a longer life . 2
If the philosophers , great thinkers , and studies are accurate , attorneys should be some of the happiest professionals , for the practice of law is a vocation of service to others . As attorneys , we regularly have the opportunity to help people in need , to assist them with their problems , to support them in difficult and trying times . After all , few people come to an attorney unless they have a problem with which they need assistance .
Yet the opposite appears to be true . My internet search using the terms “ lawyer ” and “ happiness ” resulted in articles with titles like : “ Want To Be Happy ? Don ’ t Be
A Lawyer ,” “ Can Lawyers Be Happy ?,” “ Why Lawyers are Miserable ?,” and “ Why are Lawyers Unhappy ?” 3 I also read some alarming study results and statistics .
The studies and statistics indicate the practice of law is one of the least happy careers in the United States . Lawyers rated their career happiness in the bottom 7 % of careers . 4 A study from Johns Hopkins University found lawyers were 3.6 times more likely to suffer from depression than non-lawyers . 5 “ Not surprisingly , given the high numbers of depressed lawyers , suicide rates for attorneys are nearly four times higher than those of many other professions .” 6 A study found suicide rates for attorneys ranked fourth among professionals , behind dentists , pharmacists , and doctors . 7 “ Substance abuse rates within the legal profession are also much higher than for the general population .” 8 “ The rate of substance abuse among lawyers is twice that of the general population .” 9 According to a 2016 study conducted by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs , “ 21 % of licensed , employed attorneys qualify as problem drinkers , 28 % struggle with some level of depression , 19 % demonstrate symptoms of anxiety , and 23 % are stressed out .” 10
The studies and statistics are troubling . I question whether they accurately represent the professional satisfaction and mental health of the lawyers in the North Dakota Bar . 11 However , I acknowledge , as we all must , that even if the statistics are not reflective of North Dakota attorneys , concerns about lawyer satisfaction and mental health exist even here .
Many reasons have been given for lawyer unhappiness . One reason is incivility . Another is stress , which is inherently created by the adversarial system in which we practice , deadlines and time pressures , billable hours , and difficult clients ( perhaps I should include difficult judges ). Another is lawyers not feeling they are serving the public good . “ According to an ABA study , only 16 % of lawyers found that their jobs afforded them the ‘ ability to contribute to the public good ’ as much as they expected when they entered the profession .” 12
Some factors relating to lawyer happiness are personal decisions , such as the type and location of a lawyer ’ s practice and the size of the firm where the lawyer practices . 13 Many are inherent in the practice of law and require lawyers learn effective coping or managing skills .
Perhaps one promising coping skill is to recognize and view the practice of law as a vocation of service to others . Doing so will not eliminate the stress , deadlines , etc ., but it may give more meaning and satisfaction to what we do , thereby increasing our professional satisfaction and contributing to improved mental and physical health .
Some of the studies cited in footnote two concern volunteers , which we are not . We need paying clients or we cannot make a living . But perhaps if we view our means of making a living through the lens of serving others we will find greater satisfaction as we do so . As judges and as practicing attorneys , we deal with individuals . That is true
4 THE GAVEL