FOCUS: Osaka Bar Group Offers Mental Health Support for Lawyers

Osaka, July 20 (Jiji Press)–The Osaka Bar Association has for years been working to support member lawyers experiencing physical and mental health problems, many of them stemming from heavy workloads and pressures unique to the legal profession. The association introduced a consultation service for its members even before the Japan Federation of Bar Associations launched similar efforts. It has also strengthened measures to mitigate burdens on lawyers who report health concerns, by establishing its own support systems. These include assistance from appointed lawyers to help improve work practices and arrangements to secure substitutes who can take over ongoing cases when necessary. Unique Pressures “There are causes of mental health crises that are specific to lawyers,” said Yusuke Shimazu, a lawyer who served as vice president of the Osaka Bar Association in fiscal 2022 and is familiar with the issue. As legal professionals, lawyers are expected to protect the interests and rights of their clients and contribute to the realization of social justice. That mission can place them under severe psychological strain, however, particularly when they must make difficult judgments in complex cases or deal with excessive demands from clients. Lawyers must also balance their legal duties with the management and business aspects of running law offices. When their workloads become overwhelming, they are prone to intense stress. The Osaka Bar Association started providing support for its members in 2008, when it established a consultation desk staffed by lawyer-consultants with expertise in various fields. The desk offers advice on professional ethics linked to legal practice and other matters. Since 2012, an affiliated organization has been offering consultations with clinical psychologists. “At first, the emphasis was probably on improving welfare services within the bar association and maintaining members’ health,” Shimazu said. Preventing Misconduct Mental health initiatives are also intended to help prevent misconduct by member lawyers. In recent years, a growing number of members have been disciplined for issues such as neglecting cases they had accepted from clients. Such problems are often thought to be linked to mental health issues. “If lawyers take on too many cases in an effort to make a living and then suffer a mental breakdown, all negotiations with clients and opposing parties can come to a complete halt,” Shimazu said. To minimize the impact on clients and other affected members of the public, the association began providing support in 2017 to help members improve their work practices. When complaints or requests from citizens concerned a particular member lawyer, two appointed lawyers would, as necessary, review the complaints and interview the member to help ensure that the cases proceed smoothly. In 2019, the association also established a system to introduce substitute lawyers who could take over cases when a member lawyer became unable to handle them due to death, disappearance or physical or mental impairment. Guidance Shimazu himself once experienced a breakdown after becoming overwhelmed by an enormous workload. Since fiscal 2022, he has spoken at annual mental health training sessions held by the Osaka Bar Association, sharing his painful experience while discussing ways to regain composure and manage tasks one step at a time. The association has compiled a mental health guidebook incorporating the content of his lecture and distributed it to all member lawyers. The guidebook is also provided to new members who join the association. “When you actually find yourself in the midst of a dispute, in court or at the negotiating table, it can be difficult to maintain your mental well-being,” Shimazu said. “There is nothing wrong with asking someone for help or taking a break. We have put various support systems in place for that purpose, and I hope (member lawyers) will make use of them.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]