Lawyer Arrested Following Apparent Mental Health Issue

A combination of long hours, intensive reading, and high-stakes outcomes puts a lot of stress on lawyers. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and what better way to celebrate it than to take a moment to assess how you’re coping with the stressors in your life? There is an understandable impulse to bottle things up and deal with them later — deadlines are deadlines, after all — but constantly putting off mental matters is a recipe for burnout or breakdown. While the ultimate causes are unclear, a recent story of a lawyer who may have had a little too much on his plate is a reminder to take your mental health seriously. From ABA Journal:

A prominent South Carolina lawyer allegedly identified himself as “Superman” and “God” when he was arrested for erratic behavior last week[.]

[The lawyer] was arrested May 15 after he was allegedly “yelling at the top of his lungs” while wearing only underwear and shoes in downtown Charleston, South Carolina[.]

His lawyer attributed the outburst in part to exhaustion. The arrested lawyer hadn’t slept in a week. The good news is that he will be released so long as he admits himself to a mental health program.

If you or someone you know is depressed and in need help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) or a lawyer assistance program in your state (don’t be fooled by the name; these programs also provide services to law students). Remember that you are loved, so please reach out if you need assistance.

Prominent South Carolina Lawyer Arrested For Allegedly Yelling In Public While Clad Only In Underwear [ABA Journal]

Earlier: Mental Health May Be Improving For Lawyers, But Severe Stressors Remain — And They’re Getting Worse

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

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