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The IBA’s response to the situation in Ukraine
The International Bar Association (IBA) has embarked on a global project aimed at addressing the mental wellbeing of legal professionals as Covid-19 exacerbates tensions in professional and personal lives. The key initial phase of the project consists of two global surveys – one for individual lawyers, the other for law firms and other legal institutions, including bar associations, law societies and in-house legal departments. Available in both English and Spanish, the surveys are anonymous and take approximately ten minutes to complete.
The IBA Individual Lawyer Wellbeing Survey can be accessed here.
The IBA Institutional Wellbeing Survey is available here.
The data gathered from the completed surveys will provide insight into:
IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto has convened the IBA Wellbeing Taskforce, which will be led by IBA Bar Issues Commission Officers, with assistance from the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit. Mental wellbeing within the legal profession has been one Mr Bernardes’ key priorities. He is cognizant of the fact that the issue will outlast any single IBA President; the Taskforce is a precursor to establishing a permanent body within the IBA to address the mental wellbeing of legal professionals on a continuing basis.
In an address to IBA members, Mr Bernardes Neto stated: ‘The devastating effects of depression, stress, addiction and other such attacks on our mental health may have preceded the current crisis, but there is no question that Covid-19 has exacerbated their impact. Yet, just as the pandemic has posed challenges for our profession and ways of life, and in the process refocused our attention to this critical issue, so it also presents opportunities for us to change for the better in the future.’ He added: ‘These studies will provide us with a vital global snapshot of our profession. I sincerely hope that they will lead not only to the sharing of best practice guides, but also to starting conversations in those parts of the world where mental wellbeing is not spoken about so openly, and lawyers perhaps find themselves suffering in silence.’
The wellbeing surveys have been developed in collaboration with consultancy firm Acritas (part of Thomson Reuters). The majority of questions in the anonymous surveys, for individuals and institutions alike, are multiple choice and several questions pertain to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on mental wellbeing in the workplace. A sample of non-multiple choice questions appear below.
Questions from the IBA Individual Lawyer Wellbeing Survey include:
Some sample questions from the IBA Institutional Wellbeing Survey include:
The IBA Individual Lawyer Wellbeing Survey can be accessed here. The IBA Institutional Wellbeing Survey is available here.
Data gathered from the surveys will be discussed in detail by the IBA’s Wellbeing Taskforce in a showcase session at the IBA 2020 – Virtually Together Conference in November. The session will feature representatives from across the IBA, alongside mental health experts.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
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Romana St. Matthew - Daniel
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