Virginia Lawyers’ Wellness Initiative

About

The Virginia Lawyers’ Wellness Initiative coordinates the education of, and assistance to, judges, lawyers, and law students regarding professional health and wellness initiatives, with a specific focus on improving mental health and addressing substance abuse in the legal profession. 

Since 2019, the Virginia Lawyers’ Wellness Initiative has administered funding to the Virginia Judges & Lawyers Assistance Program (formerly Lawyers Helping Lawyers), an independent non-profit organization, which provides confidential, non-disciplinary assistance to members of the Virginia legal profession, as well as their family members, who experience impairment as a result of substance abuse or mental health issues. 

Contact Information

• Wellness Coordinator: Hetal M. Challa
  Email: hchalla@vacourts.gov
  Phone - (804) 317-7861

Resources and Reference Materials

Wellness Initiative Reports

• A Profession at Risk
  The Report of the Committee on Lawyer Well-Being of the Supreme Court of Virginia, which contains recommendations for the structure, funding, and priorities of the Virginia Lawyers’ Wellness Initiative.
• The Occupational Risks of the Practice of Law
  The Report of the Virginia State Bar President’s Special Committee on Lawyer Well-Being examines twenty risks unique to the legal profession (including physical, mental & emotional, adaptation, and self-actualization risks) and includes practice pointers for individuals and organizations to ameliorate these risks.
• The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change
  This report, from the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being, served as the genesis for the Supreme Court of Virginia report.  It includes national statistics on the lack of well-being in the legal profession and offers concrete, actionable recommendations to improve this issue.

Continuing Education and Other Resources

• Additional Resources from the Virginia State Bar
• The Virginia Lawyers Weekly Wellness Blog
  This no-cost section of the Virginia Lawyers Weekly website focuses on practice pointers for attorneys, judges, and their families with regularly updated content including topics such as time management, self-care, and physical well-being.
• Virginia CLE Wellness in the Legal Profession Courses
  Links to five 1-hour courses available from VA CLE that are free to Virginia judges, lawyers, and law students and have been approved for MCLE credit by the Virginia State Bar.