Addiction knows no socioeconomic boundaries. Attorneys have a higher addiction rate than other people, and studies show that at least 10% of attorneys have some substance abuse problems. While addiction may know no boundaries, impaired attorneys create special challenges. In addition, substance abuse is one of the top causes of malpractice. Yet, confronting professionals is not risk free either. Join this session to discuss how to respond if someone at your firm has a drug or alcohol problem. Learn the warning signals, and how to avoid the confidentiality, privacy and other legal considerations implicated by interventions that go beyond the American Disabilities Act.
Objectives:
• Discuss addiction in general and its prevalence among attorneys in particular
• Identify potential warning signs of an impaired worker
• Explain mandatory and voluntary referrals as well as ethical considerations
• Determine how to respond if an attorney or staff member self-identifies as having a drug or alcohol problem
• Examine methods for confronting an attorney or staff member, directly and indirectly
Audience: Attendees should have a working knowledge of employment law in the legal industry. No advance preparation is required.
60 Minutes * CPE Field of Study: Personnel/HR * Audience: I
Jonathan Segal, JD, is partner at Duane Morris LLP in the Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He is also the managing principal of the Duane Morris Institute. He is a frequent commentator on employment issues on national and local television and radio including: CNN, PBS, CBS, KYW (television and radio), FOX News and WPHL (WB). Segal also hosted a television special on sexual harassment, The Sexual Harassment Quiz. The special, which was based on a supervisory training exercise he developed, has been broadcast on more than 200 PBS stations throughout the country.
If you intend to take a course for CLE credit, please make sure your state is listed in the "Accreditation" section to the upper right of the program description. Accreditation displayed is unique to the purchased program format (live conference, live webcast, on demand, podcast). Credit totals listed for live conferences are the maximum credits available. Credits issued will be based upon actual time in attendance. Credit totals for other formats are for complete programs. Partial credit is not available for any online or downloadable format.
West LegalEdcenter will not provide accreditation for states not listed.
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