PROUDLY SERVING DELAWARE’S LEGAL COMMUNITY

Research Notification, Confidential Lawyer Well-Being Survey

The Delaware State Bar Association is participating in a new national research project on lawyer mental health and well-being. The project, a collaboration between the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and lawyer behavioral health and well-being specialist Patrick Krill (J.D., LL.M, M.A.), is being led by Krill and his research partner Justin Anker (Ph.D.) from the University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. This research will be conducted by state bars across the country disseminating an anonymous survey to a random sample of their lawyers.

This study aims to provide a 10-year update to and build upon the landmark 2016 ABA-Hazelden Betty Ford study, providing essential insights into current trends, attitudes, and barriers to mental health and well-being in law. Given substantial shifts in the legal profession over the past decade, including significant changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasing role of technology in legal practice, an updated national assessment of mental health and substance use among attorneys is critically needed.

In addition to updating and building upon the 2016 study, this survey will include methodological enhancements (e.g., a random sample) and reach an even wider cross section of the lawyer population. The anonymous and confidential survey will investigate a range of individual risk factors for mental health and substance use problems (including stress, anxiety, depression, and behavioral motives) as well as cultural and workplace risk factors (workload, burnout, attitudes towards substance use and self-care, availability and utilization of support resources). The survey will also explore mental health and well-being protective factors in order to highlight behaviors, norms and experiences associated with good mental and physical health.

Approximately 70% of the active lawyers in the Delaware State Bar Association will be randomly selected from our membership and invited to participate in this research study. If you are selected, you will receive an email from the Delaware State Bar Association with more information about the study and a link to complete the survey. This survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Raw data collected in this survey will not be shared with the Delaware State Bar Association. The only information that will be shared with Delaware State Bar Association is an aggregate summary of all member responses to various survey measures (e.g. demographics, anxiety, etc.). All survey responses will be anonymous and go directly to the University of Minnesota which maintains the confidentiality of all data. No identifying information will be asked, and all data will be de-identified including IP addresses.

Any questions should be directed to Dr. Justin Anker, Principal Investigator or Patrick Krill, Co-Investigator.

Dr. Anker can be reached at:

Justin Anker, Ph.D.

Office: (612)751-0386

anke0022@umn.edu

Patrick Krill can be reached at:

Patrick Krill, J.D., LL.M, M.A.

Office: (724) 719-2134

Patrick@prkrill.com

The DSBA Joins the ABA Statement Regarding the Rule of Law

CHICAGO, March 26, 2025 — We the undersigned bar organizations stand together with and in support of the American Bar Association to defend the rule of law and reject efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession.

In particular, as outlined by the ABA:

We endorse the sentiments expressed by the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in his 2024 Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary, “[w]ithin the past year we have also seen the need for state and federal bar associations to come to the defense of a federal district judge whose decisions in a high-profile case prompted an elected official to call for her impeachment. Attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in cases are inappropriate and should be vigorously opposed.”

We support the right of people to advance their interests in courts of law when they have been wronged. We reject the notion that the U.S. government can punish lawyers and law firms who represent certain clients or punish judges who rule certain ways. We cannot accept government actions that seek to twist the scales of justice in this manner.

We reject efforts to undermine the courts and the profession. We will not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal profession into something that rewards those who agree with the government and punishes those who do not. Words and actions matter. And the intimidating words and actions we have heard and seen must end. They are designed to cow our country’s judges, our country’s courts and our legal profession.

There are clear choices facing our profession. We can choose to remain silent and allow these acts to continue or we can stand for the rule of law and the values we hold dear. We call upon the entire profession, including lawyers in private practice from Main Street to Wall Street, as well as those in corporations and who serve in elected positions, to speak out against intimidation.

If lawyers do not speak, who will speak for our judges? Who will protect our bedrock of justice? If we do not speak now, when will we speak? Now is the time. That is why we stand together with the ABA in support of the rule of law.