In the News
Come join us for our annual Volunteer Training.
Our next training for volunteers will be Thursday June 6 — and it is not too early to register for this important event. This training is required for anyone who is interested in serving as a LAP volunteer, but attendance does not obligate you to become a volunteer. We welcome anyone who wants to learn more about how addiction and mental health issues impact the legal profession.
Date: Thursday, June 6, 2013
Location: Loyola School of Law, 25 E. Pearson, #1040, Chicago, Illinois
Time: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Cost: No Charge but Reservations are Required
For more information or to register for this event, please contact Bridget McLaughlin at 312-726-6607 or bmclaughlin@illinoislap.org.
Lawyers and Suicide: What We Can Do
Suicide has become an increasing problem for lawyers and we can no longer ignore the tragic consequences when it occurs among our colleagues. But what can we do? How do we recognize the warning signs? And if we become concerned, what do we say? What do we do?
More than 150 lawyers attended this special program at Loyola School of Law on Thursday, April 25. Featured speakers were: Mariann Blacconiere, Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs; Stephen Moore, Chicago attorney, LAP volunteer, and Illinois Chapter Board Member for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Robin Belleau, LAP Clinical Director; Larry Scanlon, LAP Clinical Case Manager; and Judge Michael Caldwell, LAP Volunteer and member of the LAP Board of Directors.
This event was co-sponsored by Lawyers’ Assistance Program and by the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Excerpts from this event will soon be available as an online MCLE program on the LAP website.
For more information or to register for this event, please contact Bridget McLaughlin at 312-726-6607 or bmclaughlin@illinoislap.org.
The 4th Annual Joseph R. Bartylak Dinner will be May 3, 2013 in Springfield.
Thomas Q. Keefe, Jr., trial attorney and Interim Dean of St. Louis University School of Law, will be honored at the Fourth Annual Joseph R. Bartylak Dinner on Friday, May 3, 2013 at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, Illinois. The reception will be at 6:00 pm; dinner at 6:30.
For more information, contact retired Judge James Radcliffe at (618) 444-9706 or send inquiries to bartylakdinner@charter.net.
Do you need professionalism and ethics MCLE credits?
Two of LAP’s most popular MCLE presentations are now available on this website. Each is one hour long, free of charge, and qualifies for the professionalism and ethics requirement.
“Striving for Balance in a High Stress Job” addresses the challenges of life/work balance for lawyers and includes practical, healthy solutions for dealing with the lawyer’s world.
“The Impaired Lawyer: When a Colleague Needs Help” focuses on the addiction and mental health problems that sometimes interfere with a lawyer’s ability to work effectively and manage a satisfying personal life. It includes suggestions on how to reach out to colleagues, friends, or family members who may be struggling with these issues.
To experience either of these programs, click on the large photo on the home page and select the MCLE Online option. If you are viewing these programs for MCLE credit, sign in with your email address and your lawyer registration number. If you are viewing them because of general interest and do not require the MCLE certification, simply enter a “0” in place of a lawyer registration number.
William Kane, director of the New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program, will be the keynote speaker at the LAP 2013 Annual Dinner.
The event will be at the Union League Club of Chicago on Friday, November 1, 2013. It will begin with a reception at 5:30 PM; dinner at 6:30 PM. Tickets are $100 per person; $1,000 for tables of ten. Reservations are required. The ULCC is at 65 West Jackson in Chicago.
To receive an invitation or make a dinner reservation, please contact Bridget McLaughlin at 312-726-6607 or email at bmclaughlin@illinoislap.org.
26th ABA Annual Conference for Lawyer Assistance Programs
The American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs will hold its annual conference in San Diego, California on October 8 through 11, 2013.
The conference will have sessions of interest to lawyers, judges, disciplinary staff, bar leaders, law school administrators, and law firm managers, as well as abundant opportunities to network with LAP personnel and volunteers involved in lawyer assistance programs across the United States and Canada.
For more information, go to the ABA website: www.abanet.org/colap
Lawrence Scanlon has joined the Lawyers’ Assistance Program staff as Clinical Case Manager.
Larry is working three days a week in our Chicago office receiving calls for assistance, following up with clients, and facilitating two weekly groups — one for lawyers struggling with depression and the other a group for women attorneys who want support for a variety of issues. He is an attorney with a private practice as well as an addiction and mental health clinician.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Larry received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law and his clinical training at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In his private clinical practice at The New Center (The Carl Rogers Institute), he provides psychotherapeutic and counseling services to children, adolescents, and adult clients in a private practice.
Robin Belleau is Clinical Director of Lawyers’ Assistance Program and is in our Chicago office receiving calls for assistance for addiction and mental health issues.
Robin combines a background in law and in clinical counseling. She received her Juris Doctor with honors from Northern Illinois University of Law in 1995 and a Master’s Degree with honors in Counseling from Northern Illinos University in 2006.
She practiced law for eight years before becoming a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. During her tenure in the law, she was a DuPage County Senior Assistant Public Defender, a Kane County State’s Attorney, and then entered into private practice with a speciality in criminal defense, real estate, and family law.
Robin has experience in both addiction and mental health. She has previously worked for Advocate Medical Group in DesPlaines, the F.A.I.R. Program, and most recently in private practice with Todd and Lewis-Todd. She is highly qualified to conduct individual and group counseling, perform assessments, and provide case management services to those who seek assistance from the Lawyers’ Assistance Program. She is also available for MCLE presentations on addiction, mental health, and work/life balance issues.
Robin takes over the clinical responsibilities from Susan Riegler, who has left LAP for marriage, a geographical move, and new career options.