Strategies For a Trauma-Informed Law Practice

Trauma is pervasive in our society as third of Americans will experience a severe trauma at some point. Indeed, lawyers are often serving clients at some of the darkest times of their clients’ lives due to traumatic events. Yet, until recently, our profession has not emphasized the necessary “soft skills” to be a successful attorney, including mindful communication, empathy, connection, and even our own self-care.

Attend this program and explore best practices to curb the negative effects of trauma within the legal profession. This program will examine how unresolved primary trauma, as well as vicarious trauma, can hinder an attorney’s ability to effectively manage and cope with stress, which can have dire impacts on our professional responsibilities and health. Discover how to bolster awareness of trauma and how it can present—both primary and secondary—so that you can strengthen connections with your clients, while also creating environments that support your mental health and overall well-being.

You will also learn how:

• Attorney well-being serves as a foundation for ethical representation 
• Exposure to trauma can adversely affect legal practitioners 
• Improving rapport with traumatized clients can lead to better results 
• Strategies to avoid re-traumatizing clients

Lawyers of all ages and experience levels will benefit from this program.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain basic understanding of the elements of trauma-informed law practice
• Raising awareness of common issues in the legal setting
• How childhood trauma impacts lawyers and their clients
• How to strategically build a trauma-informed practice