Law firms are notorious for being fast-paced, stressful environments, and attorneys are known for having the highest rate of alcoholism as a profession. But what if we could turn that around and create working environments where attorneys enjoyed their jobs and looked forward to coming into work every day? What if employers embraced wellness issues, co-workers supported one another in the workplace, and the culture of the average law firm became committed to the health and wellbeing of each of its employees?

Hear from the CEO of the Institute for Well-Being in Law, Bree Buchanan; deputy clinical director of the Virginia Judges & Lawyers Assistance Program, Barbara Mardigian; and happy attorneys who love their jobs and workplaces as we discuss best practices for law firms to become meccas of wellness so that attorneys can love their jobs and learn to whistle while we work! 

Panelists

• Stephanie Louie (Moderator), Bloomquist Law, PLLC: Stephanie Louie worked for over six years as a civil litigator in California before her husband finally said, “You’re coming home angry every day and picking fights with me! Something has to change!” Realizing the truth in this and how unhealthy her profession was making her life, she interviewed many different attorneys and found that estate planners seemed to be the happiest and most well-adjusted. She made a difficult transition into practicing estate planning and then moved half-way across the nation to Texas, where she was blessed to find a boss who was an amazing person and attorney. Stephanie loves her job, her boss, her co-workers, and (most of the time) her clients. She is very happy professionally and is dedicated to helping other attorneys find joy in the law too.
  
  
• Bree Buchanan, Institute for Well-Being in Law: Bree Buchanan is founding co-chair of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-being and is a co-author of its groundbreaking 2017 report, The Path to Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change. In December 2020, she was appointed Board President of the newly formed Institute for Well-being in Law, a new nonprofit dedicated to bringing about systemic change in the legal profession such that considerations of well-being become central to the practice. Ms. Buchanan served as chair of the ABA Commission on Lawyers Assistance Programs (2017-2020) and as director of the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program from 2013 until retirement in 2018. She is now Senior Advisor with Krill Strategies, Inc., providing consultation on issues related to lawyer well-being and impairment for major legal employers. Ms. Buchanan is co-host of the podcast, The Path to Well-Being Law, and has shared her own story of recovery as a featured guest on podcasts – as well as articles published – in the United States, Canada and the U.K.

• Barbara Mardigian, Virginia Judges & Lawyers Assistance Program: Barbara is a graduate of Ferrum College and MCV / VCU School of rehabilitation counseling specializing in drug and alcohol education. She has worked in the field of addiction since 1997. She received her LPC in 2004 and has worked in a variety of settings including intensive outpatient ,private practice, secure unit hospitals, all working with adolescents or adults with dual diagnosis including, PTSD, depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder and addiction. She has worked at the Farley center in their professional program working with many professionals in treatment including physicians, lawyers, military personnel including high ranking officers and their family members. She also worked in Virginia Monitoring, Inc, which was the first monitoring agency for addicted health professionals in the state of Virginia.

• Kang He, McGuireWoods LLP: Kang is a trial lawyer who focuses on commercial litigation and eminent domain. He has second chair trial experience, first chair deposition experience, and argued various motions in state and federal courts. Since joining the firm, Kang has authored four appellate briefs for the Supreme Court of Virginia and was lead associate for a litigation project that involved over 300 cases spread throughout the federal courts of West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Before joining the firm, Kang clerked for Judge John M. Tran at Fairfax County Circuit Court. Kang routinely advises Fortune 500 companies, government contractors, and small businesses on matters related to contracts, construction, employment, business torts, and zoning. In his spare time, Kang enjoys skiing and rooting for the UNC Tar Heels. Go Heels! In college, Kang studied German literature and philosophy. During law school, Kang served as an editor for the William & Mary Law Review and competed on the National Trial Team.

Presented by NAPABA's Trusts & Estates and Wellness Committees