Chief Wellness Officer Lori Pines provides timely advice for legal industry professionals in a New York Law Journal article titled, “A Reminder on World Mental Health Day: Law Firms Can Be Good Places to Make Friends.” In the piece, Lori notes that while the demanding nature of legal work can affect attorneys’ mental health, law firms, especially large ones, are good places to form real friendships that can help alleviate some of the mental health concerns that lawyers face.  

Positive relationships and social connections are key factors in happiness and mental and physical health, and such support can be found in friendships developed at work. “They keep us grounded, put things in perspective and support us as we manage our problems,” Lori says.   

Since busy adults who work in law firms don’t tend to have an abundance of free time to socialize, Lori suggests that while collaborating and working with like-minded colleagues, it is imperative to recognize the opportunity for camaraderie. “I remember being in an auditorium in the early 1990s, when Ira Millstein, one of Weil’s wisest and most revered partners, was addressing a group of new lawyers. ‘You spend a lot of time here,’ he said. ’Make some of your best friends here.’” 

The formation of genuine friendships at work can be uplifting and a key component to our mental health that often gets overlooked. She concludes by emphasizing the importance of friendships made at work and the benefits of nurturing them at the deepest level.

The article was published October 10 to coincide with World Mental Health Day. To read the entire article, please click here.