Take the "Alcohol Myths and Facts" Quiz by WebMd

The Drunk Lawyer Blog suggests you check out a fun and fast quiz offered by WebMd.

The quiz is entitled “Alcohol Myths and Facts” and only takes a minute. After each question you will be told whether you answered correctly, and given an explanation. You will also be given a score upon completion. We won’t spoil it by giving away any answers, but suffices to say that what you learn may surprise you!

The link to the quiz is here.

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Attorneys and Depression

The Wall Street Journal has an excellent article called “Why Do Lawyers Get Depressed?” You can find it here.

The study of lawyers and depression is an important endeavor because lawyers have traditionally suffered higher rates of alcohol abuse and alcoholism than the general public. In 1991, studies showed that lawyers had twice the rate of addiction to alcohol than the general population. In 2000, it was estimated that 15 to 17 percent of California attorneys were alcoholics, or about one out of every six attorneys. In comparison, nearly 14 million Americans, or one in every 13 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. These statistics are concerning, because alcohol abuse can interfere with an attorney’s professional duties.

The Wall Street Journal article reveals that lawyers suffer depression at rates that are 3.6 times higher than other professions.

One cause may surprise you. Lawyers are trained to be analytical and critical thinkers, which makes us pessimists. Pessimism leads to unhappiness. To combat this, psychologist Martin E. P. Seligman recommends that firms reward attorneys with a change of pace from “drudgery” and offer exciting work assignments when possible.

Here is a short video about depression in the legal profession.

Here is a site devoted to attorneys with depression.

Public Service Announcement on Depression


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California Attorney Arrested On Suspicion Of Smuggling Drugs Into Prison

Illegal drugs can be the downfall of many, and in many different ways. Take attorney Kenneth Markman of Los Angeles for instance. Last month Markman was arrested after a police dog caught the scent of a bundle of illegal drugs in his possession inside the Criminal Courts Building.

Apparently, the dog alerted on Markman as he was waiting to speak his client inside the court jail. The canine caught the scent of heroin, methamphetamines and marijuana, valued at around $30,000. The story is here.



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Iowa Lawyer Charged With Possession of Crack

An attorney from Cedar Rapids has been charged with possession of a controlled substance after he allegedly obtained crack cocaine from a police informant. The attorney, Stanley Roush, is 52 years old. The story is here.

The legal profession provides one with a fulfilling career, to be sure. But it also includes a fair amount of stress, which can lead to substance abuse and even addiction.

The Iowa Lawyers Assistance Program reports the following “sobering” facts:

• Lawyers abuse alcohol at a 50- 80% higher rate than the general population.

• The incidence of depression among lawyers is twice as high as in the general population.

• According to a recent report of the ABA, studies indicate that more than 50 percent of all disciplinary cases involve impaired lawyers.

• The incidence of malpractice insurance claims are significantly higher among impaired attorneys.

• Lawyers suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction or depression often deny that they have problem.

Attorneys in Iowa who wish to speak to someone in confidence about substance abuse issues may contact the Iowa Lawyers Assistance Program.



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Lawyers and Substance Abuse an International Concern

Twenty-four percent of attorneys will suffer from alcohol abuse problems during their careers. That was one of the statistics discussed recently at an international conference of behavioral health professionals in Ireland. The story is here.

It is thought by many that stress is the number one contributing factor to this high figure. In fact, many studies have found significant but relatively small associations between stress in the workplace and elevated levels of alcohol consumption. For example, one early study data reported that employees’ reasons for drinking were found to be associated with stress-inducing job characteristics, but the correlations were weak. A national survey of employed persons found that lower job satisfaction and higher job stress both were risks for increased drinking. Another study found significant associations between employee alcohol use and lower job satisfaction, less faith in management, and lower involvement with and commitment to the job. There are significant associations between drinking and job burnout, and negative associations between employee drinking behavior and job autonomy and job satisfaction.

Attorneys are not the only professionals who suffer from higher rates of substance abuse. According to statistics revealed at the international conference, doctors are also three times more likely to develop liver cirrhosis than the general population.

Attorneys who are seeking help for their substance abuse problems can usually turn to their respective state bar associations. For instance, the mission of the State Bar of California’s Lawyer Assistance Program is to support recovering attorneys in their rehabilitation and competent practice of the law, enhance public protection, and maintain the integrity of the legal profession.

Many states also require attorneys to complete continuing legal education requirements in the prevention of substance abuse.

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California Attorney Arrested for DUI

A California attorney has been arrested for DUI after he ran into a parked car.

The attorney is the former city attorney for Newport Beach. The story is here. Fortunately no one was hurt. This is the second time arrest for the 53 year-old lawyer. Two years ago he was arrested for domestic violence, but no charges were filed.

California attorneys seeking help for addiction problems can find assistance through the Lawyer Assistance Program.


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Attorney Caught Trying to Smuggle Marijuana to Inmate

Well, we don’t know if this attorney uses illegal substances, but he apparently knows where to get them.

A veteran attorney from Georgia was arrested for trying to smuggle marijuana to an inmate at the Richmond County Jail. The story is here. He is also being charged with influencing a witness.

Credit: Richmond County Sheriff's Office

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Texas Attorney Pleads No Contest to Crack Cocaine Charge

It took five years for this case to get to trial, but when it did a former prosecutor from Bexar County, Texas decided to plead no contest to a felony drug charge rather than face a jury.

Gammon Guinn was arrested in 2006 after police allegedly found 3.5 grams of cocaine and a crack pipe in his vehicle. See the story here. Since his arrest, Guinn completed treatment for substance abuse addiction, which must have a been a factor when the judge awarded him deferred adjudication probation. Guinn is still a practicing attorney.

Crack cocaine is a highly addictive and powerful stimulant that is derived from powdered cocaine using a simple conversion process. Crack emerged as a drug of abuse in the mid-1980s. It produces an immediate high and is easy and inexpensive to produce. See more here.

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What Was She Thinking? Female Magistrate Takes Courthouse Photos of Men Urinating

While this story does not concern substance abuse, it certainly deserves honorable mention. Florida attorney and traffic magistrate Rhonda Hollander has a strange hobby: photographing guys urinating in the courthouse men’s room. Is this an expensive hobby? Well considering it led to her arrest – it might end up costing her plenty.

She followed some guy into the men’s room and started taking pictures of him taking a leak. Then another unsuspecting fellow entered and she took his picture, too. The police came and she got into a struggle with him. The story is here and here among others.

Someone would not engage in this kind of behavior unless something was seriously wrong. So we hope that whatever caused her to do this can be identified and dealt with – in other words, we hope she will be alright.
What was she planning to do with these pictures? Was she taking them for her own personal enjoyment? Was she going to sell them to some weird twisted porn sites? We don’t want to know.

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Florida Bar Suspends Attorney For Cocaine Use

Florida attorney Hugh Henry Lee was suspended by his state bar for 30 days after testing positive for cocaine on a drug test. Lee was arrested for DUI in 2009 and entered a plea of no contest. In May, 2010, he agreed to treatment which required drug testing as part of the program. Since then, two drug tests have come back positive for cocaine, the last one in March of this year.

The story is here.

Enjoy this old public service announcement featuring Clint Eastwood:

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Florida Attorney Arrested – Allegedly Tried To Buy Oxycodone

Oxycodone – oxycodone hydrochloride- is a prescription painkiller used for the relief of moderate to severe pain. Buying it on the street without a prescription is, of course, illegal.

Orlando attorney Anthony McDonald could not reasonably have known different. Yet there he was, allegedly trying to purchase 300 oxycodone pills for $1,300 cash.

Unfortunately for him, the person from whom he was trying to buy the painkillers was an undercover cop. McDonald was arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking, which carries a maximum 25 year prison sentence if he is found guilty.

The story is here.



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Kansas Lawyer Gets Jail Time for Deadly DUI

A Kansas lawyer was sentenced to a prison sentence of 62 months after pleading no contest to drunk driving and a hit and run accident that left one man dead. The lawyer, Marc Schultz, was driving drunk with his young son in the car with him when he struck a bicyclist from behind, killing him. Schultz then fled the scene of the crime leaving the bicyclist on the side of the road because he didn’t want his son in the car with him to see the body. Apparently, the 40-year-old Schultz had three prior DUIs.

The sad story is here.



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Kentucky Attorney Arrested for Drug Trafficking

Attorneys suffer from alcohol abuse and addiction at a greater rate than the general public. I am not aware of similar studies or statistics relating to attorneys and illegal substance abuse, but at least one study has shown that if a lawyer is going to use illegal substances, cocaine is the top drug of choice.

An attorney from Madisonville, Kentucky most likely falls into that trend. According to this report, attorney William Nisbet IV was arrested last month and charged with trafficking in cocaine. If convicted he could face a 10-20 year sentence.





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Kansas Lawyer – DUI - Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter

Years ago when I was in the Marine Corps, anyone that was caught DUI more than once was sent to substance abuse education. More than three times and you were sent to a substance abuse counselor to be screened for alcohol addiction. I am reminded of this because of the tragic circumstances surrounding the conviction of Kansas attorney, Marc A. Schultz, for involuntary manslaughter and felony DUI. The story is here. More editorial on the story is here.

Last September Schultz struck and killed a 55 year old bicyclist, who was a successful financial planner and former Marine. That story is here. Today, Schultz pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter, to driving under the influence of alcohol, and to leaving the scene of an accident in which a death occurs. He will be sentenced in June.

Alcohol was not the only substance Schultz had taken back in September. Aside from a blood alcohol level of 0.12, Schultz’s blood test was positive for marijuana, a narcotic pain reliever, and an anti-depressant.

It so happens this was not the first DUI for Schultz. Schultz was convicted of DUI in 1989, and in June, 2000 and August, 2000. He also had two prior speeding violations.

See video of the story here.

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Paris Hilton Gets Last Laugh – Prosecutor Arrested for Cocaine

The police spot a suspected drug dealer jump into the passenger seat of a BMW. A drug deal is going down. The car is pulled over and police find crack cocaine. Who was the driver of the car? Sadly, it was Las Vegas deputy district attorney, David Schubert. The story is here.

Schubert is well known for the drug prosecutions of well known stars, such as Paris Hilton and Bruno Mars. Now he has been suspended pending the resolution of this matter.

No one, not even attorneys, are immune to drug and alcohol problems. In Nevada, lawyers in need of confidential assistance with an alcohol, drug, depression, stress or gambling problem, may contact the Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.





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California Attorney Learns: “Handcuffs are not fun!!!”

The long time City Attorney from Lakeport, California, was arrested this month after his alleged involvement in a hit and run accident. A DUI charge indicates alcohol may have been the cause. The story is here.

The attorney is accused of drifting into a lane with oncoming traffic and colliding with a pick-up truck. Fortunately, the driver and passengers of the other car apparently suffered no injuries.

What’s particularly unusual is that the attorney apparently posted a comment on the Lake County News Facebook page warning others not to drink and drive because wearing handcuffs was not fun.

Good advice. The Center for Disease Control reports that 32 people per day die in the U.S. as a result of car accidents involving an alcohol-impaired driver. That’s about one death every 45 minutes.



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California Defense Attorney In Treatment For Heroin

In 2008, a Santa Barbara defense attorney was arrested as he prepared to smoke heroin that the police saw him purchase earlier. In 2007, when he also had substance abuse problems, he was suspended from practicing law for three months for ethical violations.

Recently he agreed to enter a pre-conviction drug treatment program. If he completes the program the 2008 charges against him will be dropped.

The story is here.



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Recent Articles on Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession

A couple of recent articles discuss the prevalence of substance abuse in the legal profession.

This article at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune reports on a new rehab program geared for legal professional in Minnesota.

This article by the Daily Iowan is about a program at the University of Iowa School of Law that informs law students about high rate of substance abuse in the legal profession.

Remember the Socratic method of instruction at law school? For anyone that doesn't know, or who blocked it out of their memory, that’s where the law professor picks on one student and grills them for 15-20 minutes. I remember my own particular interrogation in Contracts lasting almost the entire class period. That’s stressful, and it’s no surprise that law students also are subject to higher rates of substance abuse.

Along with demanding teaching methods, imagine taking difficult postgraduate courses where your entire grade in each class is based on the final examination. That’s law school, at least as I remember it. And after three years of that, you then have to take the bar exam in the state where you hope to practice. That’s three grueling days of tests, and in California the most recent pass rate from the July 2010 exam was only 54.8 percent.

That’s enough to drive a person to drink. And it does. Both articles above mention a 1990 article published in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, reporting that attorneys had twice the rate of drinking problems than non-lawyers.


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Will the Judge Run Out of Breath?

This Maryland judge might eventually suffer shortness of breath as a result of an unusual requirement following his sentencing for DUI.

In November, 2009, a judge from Maryland was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he crashed into another car. Wine – five glasses – was apparently the culprit. That story is here. The judge blew a 0.18, and eventually pled guilty in March, 2010. He was sentenced to three years probation and fined $1,000.

Even after his conviction the judge will be allowed to remain on the bench. The judge agreed to attend at least five AA meetings per week, abstain from alcohol, and take a breathalyzer test every day before assuming his judicial post. See the recent story here.

This story reminds us that suffering from an alcohol related incident is not the end of the world. There is always hope for those that honestly face the consequences and accept responsibility for their actions.



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