Downstate Page
James M. Radcliffe, Associate Director
Belleville, Illinois
My name is Jim Radcliffe and I am the Associate Director of the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program. This means that I am LAP’s “downstate” guy. I am a retired judge and a practicing lawyer on the LAP staff.
After 20 years on the Bench in St. Clair County, I retired on December 31, 2007. I resigned from the Board of Directors of LAP and joined the staff on January 2, 2008. Prior to my service as a judge, I practiced law for 11 years. In addition to working for LAP, I practice in the area of ADR, primarily serving as a mediator in civil and family cases. I come to my work with LAP as a person in recovery with over 33 year’s experience as an attorney, judge, and mediator.
LAP provides confidential services to attorneys, judges, law students, and their families. We have a large family of trained volunteers. These folks are attorneys and judges from all over the state, who bring to the table a wealth and breadth of varied experiences. I assure you that whatever issue you, a colleague, or loved one is facing, we have a volunteer who has faced that same issue. In fact, my experience provides me a basis of understanding, personally and professionally, of many of the issues facing my colleagues. We also have the “clinical” connections for appropriate referrals.
Since becoming the “downstate” staff person for LAP, we have seen an increase in the clients served from the downstate office from about 5% of total LAP clients to about 15%. Many of these clients I serve personally. I support and consult with fellow lawyers and judges going through some difficult challenges, making referrals to appropriate professionals when necessary. My colleagues face a full range of issues including: alcohol and substance abuse, abuse of prescription medications, process addictions, depression, bi-polar illness, anxiety, and grief. We have also seen an uptick in issues unique to some of our senior colleagues.
We have good relations with our “downstate” law schools: University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. I present programs at both Law Schools on an annual basis and work with several of our future lawyers.
We are blessed to practice a profession that allows us to help our fellow citizens in many ways. Practicing law is also, at times, very stressful. We sometimes don’t take care of ourselves as well as we care for our clients. How many times have we missed out on family time to meet that deadline?
I have always viewed the bar and bench as family. We are in this profession together and owe it to the profession, to our clients, and to the public to be at our best. We have an obligation to look out for each other. Many of us “downstate” practice solo or in small firms and the pressure can, at times, be enormous.
Any communication with LAP is strictly confidential. The scope of LAP’s services is broad. If you are wondering if LAP is a resource and safe harbor for you, your family, or a colleague, we probably are. If you would like to come into the safe harbor of LAP or just want to chat with an old retired judge, e-mail or call my cell 618.444.9706.