Are you an attorney with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? You aren’t alone. According to a study by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs, 12.5% of attorney have the disorder. Compare that with the general population’s rate of 4.4% for ADHD, and you understand why this is an important issue for the legal industry.
Goodwin Procter is stepping up for their attorneys with ADHD. As reported by the ABA Journal, the firm partnered with Dixon Life Coaching to offer a three-month program called “The Focused Lawyer Coaching Group.” So what does that entail?
It included virtual group workshops and discussions to help participants determine what they needed to succeed and what steps that they could take to hone their skills and ability to enhance their work productivity, says Casey Dixon, who founded Dixon Life Coaching in 2005.
Another piece of the program was an emphasis on co-working, which involves creating a virtual space for lawyers to connect with each other to first discuss goals and then attend to their individual caseloads while keeping the camera on for accountability. At the end of each co-working session, lawyers unmute their microphones to tell each other what they accomplished.
Goodwin associate Carrie Garber Siegrist says the support from the firm has been remarkable, “One of the most challenging parts about practicing law is the historic stigma and misunderstanding associated with ADHD. The support that Goodwin has offered me has been remarkable.”
Goodwin Procter’s director of career coaching, Elaine Ventola, said the firm’s motivation for the program began when she noted an uptick in associates sharing their ADHD diagnosis with her. As Ventola said, “The goal of coaching is to help attorneys be as effective as possible, but I realized we didn’t have expertise in this area.” And it’s been a success, as Ventola noted that “[participants] described themselves as feeling way more engaged with their work and having a greater connection to the firm since participating.” A sentiment Garber Siegrist echoed, “It is inspiring and refreshing to be honest about who I am and to be given options and a community.”
Kudos to the firm for offering this kind of support to their attorneys.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
