Attorneys now operate in an environment of near-constant connectivity. Email, texts, social media, client portals and mobile devices have made communication much easier – but they have also created new expectations of immediate access and responsiveness at all hours of the day.
Presented by Greg Mitsch, this CLE program examines the challenges lawyers face when trying to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in our new hyperconnected world. The course explores how weak or unclear communication boundaries can contribute to stress, anxiety, burnout and other threats to attorney well-being. Participants will examine the pressure created by after-hours communications, informal digital contact and the expectation that attorneys should always be available to clients.
Learning Objectives
* Identify the pressures created by constant client connectivity and digital communication
* Recognize how weak communication boundaries can contribute to stress, anxiety, burnout and substance-use concerns
* Explain how client communication practices interact with attorneys’ professional-responsibility obligation
* Evaluate the confidentiality and professionalism risks associated with email, texting, social media and other informal communications
* Apply practical strategies for setting and maintaining healthy client communication boundaries
* Identify lawyer-assistance and well-being resources available when stress or impairment begins affecting professional performance
The program also addresses the relationship between client communication practices and the Rules of Professional Conduct. Topics include confidentiality, professionalism, communication expectations, and the risks associated with informal or unsecured digital communications. Attorneys will learn how thoughtful communication policies can help protect both the lawyer and the client.
Finally, the course provides practical strategies for establishing healthier client boundaries while maintaining high-quality representation. Participants will learn how to set reasonable expectations, manage communication channels, reduce unnecessary after-hours contact, recognize signs of stress or impairment, and identify lawyer-assistance and well-being resources when additional support is needed. Gregory F. Mitsch, Esq., currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania.