Fran Bassios, head of the bar's discipline system, says substance abuse plays a role in 25 to 35 percent of the lawyers who face formal charges. The Lawyers Personal Assistance Program, a free, confidential service for impaired attorneys, receives 200 calls a year. Although most professionals do not believe chemical dependence is more rampant among attorneys than in society at large, they think lawyers face a particular set of obstacles to getting help. They are counselors and problem-solvers, reluctant to seek help for themselves. They might fear that reaching out could result in getting caught.
Denial is much greater for lawyers than for any other professional.
In the past, paying State Bar dues might have been both hard on the pocketbook and confusing. Over the past few years, however, bar dues have declined, somewhat easing the financial hit. And this year, bar officials hope the confusion will disappear as well. A concerted effort to make the membership fee statement easy to read and easy to use has resulted in a simpler billing that will be sent to every attorney next month. It will list what each attorney must pay including annual mandatory fees and the amounts requested for voluntary donations to the Conference of Delegates and the Foundation of the State Bar.