Halloween may now be behind us, but we arguably face something even more terrifying each and every week – the Sunday Scaries. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years, the Sunday Scaries are feelings of anxiety or dread that happen the day before heading back to work. According to data collected by LinkedIn, eighty percent of professionals say they experience the Sunday Scaries. While this weekly impending doom may seem inevitable, there are ways to avoid or mitigate these feelings. It may be useful to set boundaries on the weekend and disconnect from your professional email and other accounts. Taking some time on Sundays to practice relaxation and self-care can also be useful to set yourself up for success. Prioritizing sleep and entering the week well-rested can also be helpful. While…

This is the sixth post in our series on The National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada published by the Université de Sherbrooke, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association in December 2022 (the “Report”). In this post we will be discussing the stigmatization of mental health issues in the legal profession, as explored in the Report.   What is stigma? The Report outlines three distinct types of stigmas surrounding mental health: Personal stigma refers to our own personal attitudes or emotional responses towards mental health issues. Perceived stigma refers to our individual beliefs about how others think and feel about mental health issues. Internalized stigma refers to our own personal and subjective experience living with mental health issues. Stigma increases the likelihood that individuals will not talk about their mental health…

So you need to have a difficult conversation? Perhaps you need to tell a colleague that they are stepping on your toes? Address some feedback with your assistant? Set some boundaries with a partner? If you are like most people I know, the prospect of a difficult conversation going sideways is enough to keep putting up with whatever it is you’re putting up with. Most people report some combination of: “It feels awkward” “I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings/tick them off” “I don’t want to mess up our relationship”

We hope you had a fantastic time at our recent Ask Us Anything panel discussion, which took place on Wednesday, September 27. Our conversation dug into some fascinating topics centered around “Everything You Want to Know About Being a Female Lawyer But are Too Scared to Ask.” The discussion was driven by user-submitted questions in the weeks leading up to the event and those submitted during the event itself. Our panel featured some of our amazing LiL Advisors from Harper Grey, including co-founder Kim Jakeman, KC, Jennifer Woznesensky, and Renee Gagnon, as well as those from Lerners’, including Cynthia Kuehl, Alysia Christiaen, and Zahra Vaid, our moderator-extraordinaire guiding the conversation! In case you missed it, you can catch the recorded session below. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you who attended and actively participated in our lively discussion….

This is the fifth post in our series on The National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada published by the Université de Sherbrooke, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association in December 2022 (the “Report”). The legal profession offers promising opportunities to Canadians, however, it presents its own set of hurdles for individuals of ethnic backgrounds. The “National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada” (the “Report”) underscores these challenges. Legal professionals of an ethnic minority often grapple with heightened psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and burnout. The Report discusses findings related to legal professionals who are ethnic minorities. It highlights differences in psychological health indicators between ethnicized (non-white) legal professionals and their non-ethnicized (white) counterparts. In this blog, we will discuss the findings of the Report as they relate…