The basics:

• Lowenstein Sandler LLP has taken a creative approach to raise awareness of mental health issues affecting the legal industry.
• The firm’s employees created nearly two dozen rocking chairs to serve as a reminder for attorneys and staff to take breaks and focus on their well-being.
• This initiative comes amid growing concerns about mental health challenges faced by legal professionals.

Relaxing, rejuvenating and calming aren’t typically the first words that come to mind at a law firm. But at Lowenstein Sandler LLP, nearly two dozen rocking chairs placed in common areas of the firm’s New Jersey and New York offices remind attorneys and staffers of the importance of taking a break.

The colorful pieces were created by the firm’s mental health & wellness employee resource group as part of an initiative designed to raise awareness of mental health issues affecting the legal industry. Following their display, the chairs were auctioned off Aug. 27. They raised over $10,000 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization.

For Roseland-based Lowenstein Sandler – which is considered one of New Jersey’s top law firms – the effort marked one of the biggest initiatives so far from its two-year-old MHW group. The months-long project also included support from other employee resource groups, including those for diversity leadership, LGBTQ+, veterans and advancing diversity.

Donatella Verrico, Lowenstein Sandler’s chief human resource officer, celebrated the program, saying it “perfectly exemplified” the firm’s core values of innovation, collaboration and service to others “by bringing together participants from different departments and practice areas to exercise their creativity for the benefit of a worthy cause.”

J. Danielle Carr, the firm’s chief inclusion officer, agreed. “The collaboration of five ERGs in highlighting mental health and awareness issues, while also fundraising for an organization that serves communities nationwide, is a true testament to the firm’s collaborative and collegial talent pool,” she said.

Charitable outreach is a priority at Lowenstein. Through its community service initiative, the firm regularly collaborates with a variety of nonprofits on activities like donation drives, meal distribution for food-insecure families and park restoration.

That’s why Amy Komoroski Wiwi, a partner in the employment practice and co-chair of the MHW group, wasn’t sure if her unique idea to create rocking chairs would garner interest. But she believed it could be a great opportunity to bring together members for a hands-on collaboration. After seeing a similar project at a nonprofit in Morris Plains in which participants worked together to paint a picnic table, Wiwi pitched the rocking chair project.

“I have always loved rocking chairs, especially the ones gathering dust in someone’s attic or back room. The motion is soothing, rhythmic and familiar. That they seemed old fashioned, of a bygone era when folks could sit and settle and think, made them a strong medium for raising mental health awareness at the firm,” said Wiwi.

“It seemed like such a wacky project … But it was really so well-received and we had so many people that wanted to be involved … It was amazing and the firm was just so supportive. I was very surprised at the level of enthusiasm,” she said.

Since early April, about 50 participants worked on the project. They gathered during lunchtime or on weekends to paint chairs green – the official color of mental health awareness – and then decorate each with stencils, crochet coverings, embroidered pillows or emblems. Most of the chairs were either donated or collected via Facebook marketplace, according to Wiwi.

“Our fantastic facilities folks arranged for us to have for months a corner of the loading dock. So, we had somewhere we could do messy work on the chairs. But some folks had them in their offices and were working on them,” she said. “I think it worked out great and I love the variety that we wound up with.”

While the chairs were on display, Wiwi said they provided a restful spot to sit and relax – either alone or with a companion. Each piece also included a QR code that, when scanned with a mobile device, pulled up relevant information about mental health issues, such as how to check in on individuals who may be struggling.

“I think we were pretty successful in getting people to talk about it, putting it out there for folks and also giving them a place to sit, think about it and connect with other people,” Wiwi said.

“Whether you painted a chair, shopped for a gently used chair or simply took a minute to sit in a chair, we hope we gave everyone some insight and empathy into the challenges that we all face at one time or another and that we offered them a brief respite from the stressors we all confront on a daily basis,” she said. “In our highly stressful industry, everyone should appreciate the need to sometimes step aside for a brief moment, either by yourself or with a friend, and assess your perspective.”

A safe space

Since Lowenstein signed on to the American Bar Association’s well-being pledge & campaign in 2019, Carr said the firm has grown resources and tools needed to support employees’ emotional, physical and occupational health.

According to Carr, the MHW is “a complement to the work that was already being done by the HR team in that space” and provides the firm with a more intimate group, as well as additional programming at large, “to help people become more educated, aware and to appreciate that sometimes people face struggles and need our support.”

Formed post-pandemic, the MHW group aims to bring together attorneys and professional staff members to learn about mental health and wellness while building relationships and engaging in various activities – all while in a safe and confidential environment.

The group focuses on equipping members with strategies to deal with the stressors of life by highlighting firm benefits geared toward improved mental health. It also works to support those struggling with mental health challenges and normalizing the idea of seeking help for mental health issues.

In our highly stressful industry, everyone should appreciate the need to sometimes step aside for a brief moment, either by yourself or with a friend, and assess your perspective.
– Amy Komoroski Wiwi, partner in Lowenstein Sandler’s employment practice

Additionally, members hope to influence and educate the rest of the firm on mental health and wellness issues and further incorporate mental health and wellness strategies into firm policies and trainings.

When an MHW group was proposed at Lowenstein Sandler, Wiwi said she immediately volunteered to work on it. “I think it’s so important … The mission of our group is really to provide a safe space for folks at the firm – not just lawyers, but everyone – to really sort of normalize discussions about mental health, fight that stigma and make sure that people are aware of the benefits they might not know about,” said Wiwi, who estimated that it now has about 50 members.

“It’s been a real positive experience for everyone who’s participated. And even for those who don’t, they know there are resources and other folks they can speak with,” she explained. “All of us have faced – or have family members or others who have faced – mental health issues or distress. And this is really an important resource for folks to feel like they are not alone and there are people that are willing to help or point you in the right direction. It can be very isolating to have debilitating or just anxiety or depression or other issues. And I think this has been a great way for folks to get together, talk about it, normalize mental health and make sure folks know what resources that we have or where we can point you. So, it’s been really valuable to the firm and valuable for the members,” Wiwi said.

Mounting worries

Lowenstein’s MHW group comes amid growing concerns about mental health, substance abuse and self-harm in the legal community. A March 2023 study by the New Jersey State Bar Association showed that attorneys in the Garden State suffer burnout, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance use disorders and anxiety at significantly higher rates than the general working population. Research by bar associations in California, New York, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia reached similar conclusions over the past few years.

In May, the New Jersey Supreme Court approved a series of recommendations to help support the mental health of attorneys, judges and other members of the legal community. The framework came from a special committee formed by the court a year prior that was tasked with examining specific risks and resources available to address unmet mental health needs.

The broad-based group’s membership includes attorneys in public and private practice, judges and court administrators. Support also comes from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the Office of the Public Defender and legal associations, such as the New Jersey State Bar Association.

The court recently authorized continuation of five efforts developed by the committee:

• Recommendation 1: Assignment judges and other senior judicial leaders should continue and expand conversations about well-being in the legal profession. At least annually, the committee should update and provide to judicial leaders a toolkit for their use in regular wellness discussions.
• Recommendation 2: The judiciary and other stakeholders should continue to develop and provide continuing legal education and other outreach and education programs on wellness topics. To optimize participation, such programs should be offered in various formats, including live virtual, hybrid and in-person programs as well as recorded content. Certain programs – in particular those tailored for individuals in crisis – should be made available free of charge.
• Recommendation 3: The committee should continue to solicit direct input from law professionals through regional, statewide and other targeted listening sessions.
• Recommendation 4: The committee should continue to facilitate access to wellness resources for law professionals, including through a dedicated webpage on the judiciary’s public website.
• Recommendation 5: The committee should continue to focus on ways to connect law professionals with mental health and well-being services, including through insurance options for individuals and firms, benefits available to members of legal associations, resources available to all law professionals through the New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program and apps and other online resources.

The areas of focus are only the beginning, according to the judiciary. To ensure development of effective strategies, the court is seeking suggestions for other ways in which the legal community can foster and sustain well-being.

Written comments may be submitted via email to [email protected]. According to the court, the names of individuals who provide feedback will not be subject to public disclosure.

Wiwi believes the tide is slowly turning when it comes to talking about mental health in the legal profession. “I find there’s less stigma than there was in the past,” she said. “We’re in interesting times and I think ever since COVID, a lot of people have loved ones, friends or children who have suffered significant mental health issues.”

Carr agreed, saying, “I think a lot of it has to do with the focus being on wellness and importance of paying attention to that and the role it plays in keeping your employees, because if you’re not performing well, if your wellness is out of whack, you’re not going to perform well on the job.”

Lowenstein Sandler offers several Employee Resource Groups: Arab and Muslim Employee Resource Group; Chronic Conditions & Support; Diversity Leadership Network; Jewish Cultural Network; LGBTQ + Alliance; Lowenstein Employees Advancing Diversity; Lowenstein Parent Network; LS Veterans and Allies Corps; Mental Health & Wellness; Women’s Initiative Network; Women’s Enrichment Initiative.

Moving forward, Wiwi believes ERGs in general will only become more important in the legal industry.

Lowenstein Sandler has nearly a dozen other employee resource groups that contribute to a positive workplace culture, including ones for chronic conditions and veterans and family members.

“Our firm has grown a lot since I was a junior person. It’s harder to connect with everyone at the firm or even identify. So, I think for the social connection or like-minded things, it’s been great. I think there has been a lot of effort to make sure folks feel they can be who they are and comfortable and have resources that they need to address the issues in their life,” Wiwi said. “I think law firms are realizing that even particularly in this world where we were all sort of separated for a couple of years, that people want to get together, they want social connection. And this is a great way for folks to really see themselves, other people and to help our colleagues.”

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