This Symposium was held virtually on February 12, 2021. In the legal profession, we represent people who have been traumatized by crime, abuse, environment, or even the legal system itself. Lawyers, judges, and participants are at risk of suffering from “secondary trauma” as a result of the work. The effects can include burnout, fatigue, depression, family life disruptions, and substance abuse, among other things. The traumatic effects have almost certainly been exacerbated by the pandemic and the social and political unrest of the last year. There are ways out, ways to be resilient. Awareness of the risk of secondary trauma is the first step.
The Symposium addressed the traumas that lawyers as well as non-lawyers face as a direct result of the legal system, the enhanced impact of secondary trauma with regard to race, and how lawyers can take leadership to address the issues associated with secondary trauma in legal professions.