Shackled to Our Screens: How Technology Has Imprisoned the Legal Profession
Presented by Laurie Besden
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Course Description
Length: 1h 10min Published: 4/25/2022 
Join Laurie Besden, Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, for a discussion focused on how our dependence of screens is negatively impacting our mental health. The prevalence rates of substance use and mental health challenges in the legal profession were already astounding yet our inability to "de-screen" is only magnifying feelings of isolation and loneliness. Navigating the pandemic, we became even more dependent on screens and devices to function and stay connected. As we transition to the next "new normal," it is more important than ever that we are mindful of our screen time and intentional about how we spend out time, including prioritizing self-care and wellness. We will discuss wellness tips and strategies that can be implemented into our daily lives, with ease. We also will discuss how our dependence on anything from screens to substances can impact our ability to uphold the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. At the end of the day, we all function better after a "hard reset," not just our devices.
Learning Objectives
* Understand how a dependance on screens is negatively impacting the mental health of legal professionals
* Learn self-care and wellness techniques that can help improve mental health and lawyer professionalism
* Understand how dependance issues can impact lawyers' ability to uphold the Model Rules of Professional Conduct
Speaker Q&A
Question
Any ideas for me, a law school professor, teaching Gen Z students who cannot separate from their screens.
- MelissaE
Answer
Thank you for the great question. The happiness level was much greater in the 1970's than it is now as we are constantly connected, need to respond/post ASAP, and have an insatiable desire to be available. I would challenge the students to start being mindful of their screen time by committing to meals without devices (devices in other rooms), then an outdoor adventure in nature without devices and ask them to report back. Even having your phone with you, without checking it, reduces your ability to be present as we have a constant need to know what information is waiting for us on our devices. Progress not perfection is the name of the game. Take it from someone that knows : )
- Laurie Besden
Question
The discussion of cell phones fascinated me. I have one but seldom use it. It seems to me that all of this digital communication means we lose a lot as attorneys. I do emails with clients and won't text them. With friends and family too. You're much younger than me, so I suspect you are more device oriented. Is there a nice way to tell people no, we're not going to do this? I've tried to tell people their case is too important for texting thoughts that may get lost in translation or that would require back and for immediate communication. It doesn't seem to work. Nice presentation, by the way.
- LeeT
Answer
Thank you for the great question. The truth is that while I am in my 50's, I do understand that the true "art and craft" of practicing law and hand filing briefs and writing legal letters on actual letterhead (in the US mail) was lost in the "immediately if not sooner" generations. My greatest suggestion is to simply share your very healthy boundaries with your clients and let them know that while a text may only be ".10" on billing, a lost transmission/communication can cause 2.0 hours of billing (and a lot of stress) and your practice of law, minimizing cellular communication, is truly the essence of your due diligence and treating every client with the delicacy and attention you would like to be treated with yourself, if you were the client.
- Laurie Besden
Question
Are there ethics opinions on whether a client can "text" their attorney if their attorney gives them their cell phone? I tell my clients I don't practice law by "text" and I have turned off voicemail on my cell phone, so they have to use the office line, financial brokers have voicemails that state you cannot leaving a trading request by voicemail. (CA, NC are my States).
- Eva F.L
Answer
Thank you for your question. That is a great question.
As a lawyer's assistance program, LCL-PA, Inc. does not give or share legal advice/ethics opinions but it is my understanding that the majority of state bar associations have an ethics hotline, and they should be able to answer your question & provide you with opinions on "texting," if applicable. For example, the Pennsylvania Bar Association has a confidential Ethic's Hotline for members to access.
The Ethics Department coordinates the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Ethics Hotline and works in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee.
A quick google search may give you valuable additional information.
- Laurie Besden
Presented By:
Laurie Besden
1-800-335-2572, ext. 101
laurie@lclpa.org
Featured Reviews
"Loved this!"
Alicia O
"Fantastic speaker! "
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"This was a well-researched and very thoughtful program."
Pamela D
"The course started out slow but then picked up appropriate 'steam' in demonstrating through amazing statistics how dependent lawyers have become on technology."
Frederick M
