“How to Build a Prevention Toolbox for Law Student Well-Being” emphasizes the rising number of law students experiencing mental health issues and suggests that law schools and the legal profession provide law students with the necessary resources to thrive throughout their law school careers.

“While law students and lawyers may find it challenging to practice self-care, building it into routines creates structure and ease. In fact, the absence of a routine causes stress, burnout, and feelings of unmanageability. The idea is to seamlessly weave healthy lifestyle habits into your daily life.”
– Erin Clifford

Providing realistic solutions that can be implemented by anyone, Erin outlines the following six strategies to build a prevention toolbox:

• Practice the Oxygen Mask Rule by Building Self-Care into Daily Routines
• Set Healthy Boundaries
• Move to Boost Your Mental and Physical Well-Being
• Practice Mindful Stress Management
• Build a Support Network
• Golden Rule: Something Is Always Better Than Nothing

As a Certified Holistic Health Coach with a background in law, Erin is uniquely positioned to provide health and wellness support to lawyers. She works closely with law professionals to address all the factors in their daily lives, including physical activity, stress management, mindfulness, nutrition, sleep, relationships, and careers.

“Busy law students and members of the legal profession can always find a little more work-life harmony by incorporating small pockets of self-care into their daily lives.”

Read the full Practising Law Institute article here.

To learn more about Erin Clifford and her work in legal wellness, visit her Erin Clifford Wellness and Healthy Lawyers websites.

The post Erin Clifford Shares How to Build a Prevention Toolbox for Law Student Well-Being appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Clifford Law Offices will be sponsoring a free Continuing Legal Education (CLE) webinar for lawyer well-being led by Erin Clifford, partner at Clifford Law Offices and corporate wellness consultant and coach. Clifford will present the free one-hour continuing legal education webinar, “Working Wellness: Healthy Solutions for Lawyer Well-Being” on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 3:00 pm CDT.

“Working Wellness: Healthy Solutions for Lawyer Well-Being” addresses critical issues in the legal profession – recognizing and addressing mental health and wellness issues that commonly arise among lawyers and other legal professionals, stemming from stress, work exhaustion, and an imbalanced lifestyle. Erin’s program empowers lawyers with sustainable strategies to improve work-life balance and learn skills to set clear personal and professional boundaries to help manage stress. Lawyers in attendance will be provided with a developed framework to incorporate self-care into their daily routines more easily.

Erin speaks often on a number of wellness topics including nutrition, stress management, and healthy lifestyle management. Her expertise in wellness has earned her media attention from publications such as Shape Magazine, US News and World Report, Prevention Magazine, and Better Magazine. In 2024, Erin joined the American Bar Association Litigation News Board as its Attorney Health & Wellness columnist to continue providing advice, information, and perspective to legal professionals across the country. She holds a J.D. as well as a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University.

The free continuing legal education program has been approved for 1 hour of Professional Responsibility credit in Illinois, 1 hour of Ethics credit in Iowa, 1.2 hours of Ethics credit in Missouri, and 1 hour of Attorney Professional Conduct credit in Ohio. CLE credit is only available to those who attend the webinar during its live broadcast on June 13, 2024 at 3:00-4:00 p.m. CDT. Those who view the recorded version of the webinar will not be eligible for CLE credit.

To learn more about Clifford Law Offices’ free online CLE program or to register now, click here.

The post Healthy Solutions for Lawyer Well-Being CLE Webinar appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Erin’s presentation, #EndtheStigma: Breaking Down Barriers Standing in the Way of Self-Care Stigma, discussed how stress, anxiety, and burnout limit attorneys’ ability to find relief in workplace culture. The roundtable discussion was intended to prompt attorneys to consider how individuals and organizations can reduce the stigma associated with seeking help and brainstorm ideas about how we can support one another through difficult times and effect meaningful change.

The conference celebrated women in litigation and throughout the legal profession, highlighting the advances and achievements women have made in law, and reflecting on the challenges and obstacles women lawyers continue to face in the profession.

Erin’s background in law, paired with her expertise in mental health and holistic wellness, provides her with a unique perspective into the personal challenges lawyers face on a day-to-day basis.

Clifford Law Offices was a silver sponsor of the event and is proud to promote the achievement of women litigators and be a voice for improving the scope of practice and well-being of all attorneys.

To learn more about the conference, click here.

The post Erin Clifford Spoke at 2023 Women in Litigation Joint CLE Conference appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

The legal profession has seen an uptick in business travel lately and many lawyers struggle to maintain their wellness routines on business trips which can take a mental and physical toll.

Erin personally understands the demands that come with business travel and has come up with a set of healthy travel tips that are designed to help traveling lawyers maintain nutrition and self-care habits for a successful trip.

Read Erin’s wellness tips for legal business travel here.

Erin Clifford is a Member of the ABA Mental Health & Wellness Task Force, offering her expertise on health and wellness to lawyers and law students. She is the founder of Erin Clifford Wellness and is dedicated to empowering professionals to create healthy lifestyles that produce real and last results.

The post How Lawyers Can Maintain Wellness During Business Travel appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Erin Clifford

Wellness Series – Part 3: Building Your Prevention Toolbox
Live Webcast
Thursday, May 26, 2022
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. CDT

In the third part of this series, Erin will discuss the importance of self-care and how you can better manage your stress. Attorneys attending this online seminar will learn:

• What the Oxygen Mask Rule is and how it can help your self-care
• How to ensure that you’re living according to your values
• What intentional rest is and how unplugging from technology can help you achieve it
• The importance of mindfulness
• How maintaining a consistent exercise routine can help manage your stress
• What you can do to ensure healthy nutrition throughout your busy schedule

Erin kicked off the series with Part 1, entitled “Food For Thought” on April 14th, sharing her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyle management as it relates to individuals in the law profession. She provided tips, advice, and strategies to help lawyers improve their physical and mental well-being.

During Part 2 of the series, Erin highlighted the importance of building resiliency and developing a strong foundation to handle physical and emotional difficulties as well as developing a support system to help lawyers through challenging times. She also emphasized how “success” is determined on an individual level, and how to develop your own definition of what success looks like.

In addition to her legal work, Erin holds a certification in Holistic Health Coaching through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s Health Coach Training Program and works with families, professionals, and corporations to create and maintain healthy lifestyles through nutrition, life, and wellness coaching.

The Wellness Series is presented by the Illinois State Bar Association and Illinois Judges Association and each program will qualify day-of attendees for 1.0-hour MCLE credit, including 1.0-hour Professionalism Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

To learn more about the program or to register for Part 3 of Erin’s Wellness Series, click here.

The post Erin Clifford Presents on Stress Management for Wellness Series Finale appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

“The pandemic allowed our profession [as lawyers] to take a pause, and in doing so, individuals have been evaluating what is important to them in their personal and professional lives…individuals recognized that the grind of burning the candle at both ends was not only unhealthy, but it was preventing them from maintaining a desired work-life balance.”

Erin pointed out many lawyer-specific issues that are important to be aware of when creating your wellness plan. “Lawyers tend to struggle with stress management, depression, anxiety, and addiction. While it has been taboo in our profession to talk openly about mental health, I believe the tides are fortunately changing.”

“The law is a very rewarding but demanding profession. Thus, lawyers need to be open about their struggles so they can get the assistance that they need from their employers, families, and mental health professionals.”

Important advice Erin gives for lawyers to start improving their wellness is to set clear boundaries and take time for self-care.

“Lawyers are often their worst enemies and have a difficult time using their no buttons. You make the choice to be always on, and I would encourage anyone reading this to set priorities and boundaries that work for your unique lifestyle.”

“Studies show that individuals are more productive and function at a higher level when they recharge their batteries. Therefore, lawyers should make a point to use their vacation time and take mental health days.”

In the interview, Erin also emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community. “Giving back to the community and helping someone in need can be a tremendous form of self-care. I would highly recommend engaging in some pro bono work or volunteering. I am the president of Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth – the amazing individuals that tutor for our organization tell me all the time how good it is for their souls and mental health.”

Erin points out that the leaders in the law profession need to realize that their colleagues must be given space to take care of their physical and mental health so that they will be able to function at their best for the firm and their clients.

“It is up to the leaders of our profession to take care of each other, and in doing so, transition the profession into a healthier place for new generations of lawyers.”

Click here to read more of Erin’s wellness advice in the CBF interview “A Wellness Action Plan to (Re)Start 2021.”

You can hear more from Erin and also ask any questions of your own at the upcoming Chicago Bar Association Program, “Your Practical Action Plan for Wellness in 2021” on January 27^th at 3 p.m.

The post Erin Clifford’s Wellness (Re)Start Interview with The Chicago Bar Foundation appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Erin will be giving attendees lifestyle tips to optimize their nutrition for health and immunity. The panel, “Maintaining Optimal Health and Wellness Through This COVID Winter” will be on January 15th from 9am- 10am CST.

All sessions and the schedule can be viewed here.

Additional panelists include Deborah Topol, Internal Medicine Specialist, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.; and Dr. Diana Uchiyama, Executive Director, The Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program, Chicago, IL.

More info about the Winter Leadership Meeting can be found here.

The post Erin Clifford to Participate in a Wellness Panel for ABA appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.