Researchers have long known that lawyers are more prone than other professionals to heavy drinking, anxiety and depression. But the problem is worse than previously thought, especially for law firm associates, according to a major new study released this week.
The long-awaited national study, funded by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs, was published online in the Journal of Addiction Medicine. It found that more than a third of practicing attorneys—36 percent—reported alcohol use “consistent with hazardous drinking or possible alcohol abuse or dependence,” according to clinical criteria.
