Justia Connect Webinars Mindful Lawyers: Boosting Productivity, Well-Being, and Mental Health

You are watching a webinar preview. To view the full webinar, log in to your Justia Connect account or sign up for free.

Overview AI Webinar Summary

Mindful Lawyers: Boosting Productivity, Well-Being, and Mental Health

This program gives you practical frameworks for recognizing burnout before it breaks you, managing stress that actually works in legal practice, and building work-life integration that fits your reality. Real strategies from someone who's been there — not theory from someone who hasn't practiced law.

Core Learning Objectives:

Recognize early warning signs of burnout in yourself and colleagues
Apply practical stress management strategies that work in legal practice
Build personalized systems for sustainable performance
Develop work-life integration approaches that fit your practice reality
Create action plans you'll actually use on Monday morning

What Makes This Different:

Taught by a practicing attorney who's experienced panic attacks and burnout firsthand
No corporate wellness platitudes — just what works in actual law practice
Includes self-assessments so you know where you stand
Provides scripts and frameworks you can use immediately
Addresses real lawyer challenges: ADHD, perfectionism, people-pleasing, imposter syndrome

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: February 19, 2026 10:00 AM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 Introduction

Doug Brown, the speaker, emphasizes the importance of mental health in achieving sustained high performance, challenging the notion that productivity and well-being are mutually exclusive. He shares a personal anecdote about a lawyer questioning the normalcy of feeling overwhelmed, stressing that normal does not equate to healthy.

05:06 Mental Health Challenges in the Legal Profession

Doug discusses the mental health challenges prevalent in the legal profession, noting that lawyers often self-medicate with overwork or substance abuse. He reflects on his own experiences and the profession's historical reluctance to address mental health issues openly. Doug emphasizes the importance of awareness and naming stressors to develop effective strategies for managing them. He advocates for mindfulness as a tool for awareness rather than a solution, highlighting the need to understand and address underlying issues.

11:26 Mindfulness and Strategies for Well-Being

Doug discusses the transition from private practice to in-house counsel, noting that different roles come with their own challenges. He highlights the abundance of information available on mental health but stresses that knowledge alone is not enough to effect change. He introduces mindfulness as a practical approach to gaining awareness and managing stress effectively. Doug provides resources for understanding ADHD and related mental health issues, emphasizing the importance of seeking help and support.

20:00 Time Management and Self-Care

Doug discusses the importance of self-care to achieve better mental health. He shares strategies for managing time and energy effectively, emphasizing the need to align tasks with one's peak cognitive times. He advises on the importance of social support and having a network of advisors to provide perspective and guidance.

28:02 Cognitive Restructuring and Emotional Intelligence

Doug explains the biological basis for negative thinking and its impact on mental health and productivity. He shares his personal experience with burnout and the importance of recognizing and addressing stressors early. Doug emphasizes the role of brain chemistry in mental health and the need to work with one's natural tendencies rather than against them. He discusses the importance of creating a sense of safety and understanding the chemical processes affecting mental well-being. Doug highlights the profession's denial of mental health issues and the need for greater awareness and acceptance.

39:36 Work-Life Balance and Setting Boundaries

Doug challenges the notion of work-life balance as a static concept, advocating for a more dynamic approach to integrating work and personal life. He shares personal insights on setting boundaries and the importance of self-awareness in managing one's workload and relationships. Doug emphasizes the need for rest and recovery to maintain peak performance, drawing parallels with athletic training. He provides practical tips for setting boundaries with clients and managing difficult relationships through active listening and emotional intelligence. Doug shares a story about a client who improved his family life by being mindful of how he wanted to show up at home.

52:45 Conclusion and Resources

Doug discusses the impact of chronic stress on cognitive functions and the importance of managing one's response to workload pressures. He highlights the need for mindfulness practices that can be integrated into busy workdays to enhance productivity and well-being. He encourages participants to take imperfect action and focus on reasonable care rather than perfection in their professional lives. Doug provides resources and encourages seeking support to manage stress and improve mental health.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Speaker

Doug Brown, JD The Law Firm Leadership Coach
Summit Success

Doug Brown, JD is The Law Firm Leadership Coach and Chief Learning Officer at Summit Success, LLC. As an executive coach and law practice consultant, he shares practical strategies for sustainable legal practice and attorney well-being. After experiencing panic attacks during high-stakes negotiations and receiving an ADHD diagnosis in his early 50s, Doug developed frameworks that work with your wiring, not against it. His experience includes private and in-house legal practice, serving as chief executive of the Connecticut Bar Association, and designing MBA leadership programs for experienced executives. Doug's approach: practical strategies from someone who's been there, not theory from someone who hasn't practiced law. Read More ›

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

*CLE credit is only available to Justia Connect Pros. Not a Pro? Upgrade today>>

Alabama CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Alaska CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: February 18, 2031

California CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Wellness Competence

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

Hawaii CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: February 18, 2028

Illinois CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Professional Responsibility - Mental Health / Substance Abuse

Earn Credit Until: February 18, 2028

Indiana CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2027

Nebraska CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: February 19, 2028

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.20 Ethics/Professionalism

Earn Credit Until: February 18, 2027

Ohio CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Attorney Professional Conduct

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Pennsylvania CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Ethics, Professionalism, or Substance Abuse

Earn Credit Until: February 18, 2028

South Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Substance Abuse/Mental Health

Difficulty: All Levels

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: January 31, 2027

West Virginia CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.20 Legal Ethics, etc.

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2029

This presentation is approved for one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Alabama, one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Alaska, one hour of Wellness Competence CLE credit in California, one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Hawaii, one hour of Professional Responsibility - Mental Health / Substance Abuse CLE credit in Illinois, one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Indiana, one hour of Professional Responsibility CLE credit in Nebraska, one hour of Attorney Professional Conduct CLE credit in Ohio, one hour of Ethics, Professionalism, or Substance Abuse CLE credit in Pennsylvania, one hour of Substance Abuse/Mental Health CLE credit in South Carolina (all levels), and one hour of Legal Ethics, etc. CLE credit in West Virginia. This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.20 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 1.20 qualify as total hours of credit for Ethics/Professionalism. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 1.00 credit hours, of which 1.00 credit hours will apply to Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit.

Justia only reports attendance in jurisdictions in which a particular Justia CLE Webinar is officially accredited. Lawyers may need to self-submit their certificates for CLE credit in jurisdictions not listed above.

Note that CLE credit, including partial credit, cannot be earned outside of the relevant accreditation period. To earn credit for a course, a lawyer must watch the entire course within the relevant accreditation period. Lawyers who have viewed a presentation multiple times may not be able to claim credit in their jurisdiction more than once. Justia reserves the right, at its discretion, to grant an attendee partial or no credit, in accordance with viewing duration and other methods of verifying course completion.

At this time, Justia only offers CLE courses officially accredited in certain states. Lawyers may generate a generic attendance certificate to self-submit credit in their own jurisdiction, but Justia does not guarantee that lawyers will receive their desired CLE credit through the self-submission or reciprocity process.

Looking for CLE credit? Visit CLE Dashboard

Watch Related Videos

Apr 30, 11am PT CLE

Emily Stedman Husch Blackwell

Ethics, Well-Being, and the Modern Practice of Law

CLE

Doug Brown, JD Summit Success International

Beyond Mindfulness The Real Psychology for Peak Performance Without Burnout

Watch Now