Addressing and Combating Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession seminars at FAU Jupiter and FAU Boca, which provide Continuing Legal Education Credit Hours for Ethics and Substance Abuse
Hanley Foundation, a statewide leader in substance use disorder education, will host two insightful “Lunch & Learn” seminars for legal professionals entitled Addressing and Combating Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession on Friday, February 1, 2019 and Monday, February 4, 2019. Both seminars are from Noon-4 p.m., include lunch and provide four Continuing Legal Education credits per session, including two ethics credits.
Research shows that 18-20 percent of attorneys abuse alcohol or other substances – double the rate of the general population. Of those lawyers facing disciplinary actions, 25 percent are found to be abusing drugs or alcohol and suffering from a mental disorder.
“As we fight the current opioid crisis and other forms of addiction on all fronts, we especially want to provide assistance to particularly vulnerable populations,” said Jan Cairnes, CEO of Hanley Foundation. “According to the American Bar Association, because many lawyers and judges are overachievers who carry an enormous workload, the tendency to ‘escape’ from daily problems through the use of drugs and alcohol is prevalent in the legal community.”
The Feb. 1 seminar will be held at Florida Atlantic University’s Jupiter campus and the Feb. 4 seminar will be held at FAU’s Tech Runway on the Boca Raton campus. Each event will feature four speakers: D. Culver ‘Skip’ Smith III, P.A., Michael J. Pike, Molly J. Paris and Kevin Vance. They will focus their presentations on substance abuse in the legal profession and its ethical implications.
“We are pleased to host the Addressing and Combating Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession seminars, given by highly-experienced members of our legal community,” said Cairnes. “Part of our mission is to educate key populations and advocate for quality treatment. These timely sessions will provide insight to the prevalence of substance abuse in the legal profession and the implications from ethical and business standpoints and serve as a stepping stone to additional resources.”
The event presentations are:
•D. Culver ‘Skip’ Smith III, P.A. – The Pink Elephant in the Room: Prevalence of Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession, Impact and Consequences and Addressing it in the Workplace
•Michael J. Pike, Managing Partner, Pike & Lustig, LLP – Lawyers, Alcohol and its Hidden Agenda in the Professional World
•Molly J. Paris, Esq., Assistant Director, Florida Lawyers Assistance – Ethical Implications of Impairment in the Workforce
•Kevin Vance, Partner, Duane Morris, LLP – Ethical Implications of Impairment in the Employment Setting
Hanley Foundation, established more than 30 years ago by Mary Jane and Jack Hanley, is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to give hope to individuals, families and communities affected by substance use disorders. The Foundation provides programming and grant support throughout Florida for advocacy, prevention, education and access to quality addiction treatment. The organization’s prevention programming is available to schools, churches and community groups through grant funding provided by the Florida Department of Children and Families, office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
Attending either of the Addressing and Combating Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession seminars will count towards 2 CLE ethics credits and 2 CLE substance abuse credits.
Tickets are $75 per person and include lunch, with limited seating available. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit hanleyfoundation.org/lunch-and-learn or call 561-268-2355. Advance reservations required.
