Explore the hidden costs of empathy in the legal field and learn actionable strategies to manage secondary trauma, overcome burnout, and protect your mental health while serving others.
The legal profession is built on advocacy, empathy, and service—but the emotional demands of that work can come at a significant personal cost. Attorneys regularly absorb the stress, trauma, and suffering of clients, witnesses, and colleagues, often without recognizing the long-term impact on their own well-being. While burnout is widely discussed, secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue remain less understood despite their growing prevalence across many practice areas.
In this important and practical session, Mr. Quinn examines the warning signs of impairment within the legal profession, including stress, burnout, trauma exposure, addiction, and mental health challenges. Participants will gain insight into how compassion fatigue develops, why so many legal professionals hesitate to seek help, and how education and support programs can reduce stigma and encourage early intervention. The program also explores effective strategies for approaching and supporting impaired colleagues while highlighting the critical role Lawyers Assistance Programs play in protecting the health and well-being of the legal community.
Key Topics Discussed
Education and Outreach Coordinator at Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc.
Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges, and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders. Mr. Quinn obtained his undergraduate degree in 1970, his law degree in 1973, and a certificate in Drug and Alcohol counseling in 2012, all from Villanova University. Prior to accepting his position with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers in 2017, Mr. Quinn was engaged in private practice for nearly 40 years, handling a variety of civil and criminal matters. Mr. Quinn has also worked in the field of Alcohol and Drug Counselling at Mirmont Treatment Center and Malvern Institute in suburban Philadelphia. Mr. Quinn is a past member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania and served as a peer volunteer for over six years prior to accepting his current role as the organization's Educator. As LCL's Educator, Mr. Quinn has conducted CLE presentations for Bar Associations, private law firms, and professional organizations in Pennsylvania, as well as for National CLE providers, on a variety of topics in the fields of Lawyer wellness and impairment in the legal profession.
