
'Big Law Killed My Husband': An Open Letter from a Sidley Partner's Widow - carusooneliner
https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2018/11/12/big-law-killed-my-husband-an-open-letter-from-a-sidley-partners-widow/?slreturn=20190611210557
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jayess
Non-practicing lawyer here. Practicing law sucks for most lawyers. The level
of alcoholism and drug addiction is very high.

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jkartchner
Criminal trial attorney. The problem is the rules attorney must follow make it
very difficult to step away, even to know how to step away.

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marcusverus
Could you elaborate?

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jkartchner
Attorneys are regulated internally, by the bar itself. So the bar has set a
number of ethical rules/regulations that attorneys must adhere to, otherwise
be sanctioned/lose their license. For many attorneys, they must practice
without help and without the option to stop. They cope by drinking/drugs.

One rule speaks to zealous advocacy of clientele. An attorney can't "quit"
without doing so carefully, lest they face sanctions from the bar for hurting
a client. Even when done carefully, many states won't let you out of a
criminal case because you need out. Someone's freedom is depending on your
availability. Complicating this is the fact that some areas of practice are
not conducive to building large firms. Criminal defense, for example, is not
the kind of practice where you can build a large firm. Most practitioners are
solo attorneys. Generally, these attorneys practice without backup and without
the ability to stop.

Another set of rules speaks to attorney client confidentiality. A disgruntled
client now has infinite platform to complain (check out avvo.com which behaves
a lot like Yelp does in every way), while attorneys have no recourse for most
public complaints, lest the bar consider their speaking on the subject a
breach of client confidentiality.

Bars in most states have tried to reach out with hotlines for lawyers.
Seriously.

