Judges, attorneys and law students in need of mental health or dependency treatment have a new resource for getting help.  Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard announced the creation of two funds that will help pay for needed treatment and educational outreach.

“The JLAP Treatment and Grant Fund” and “The Friends of JLAP Fund” are being created by the Indiana Supreme Court’s Judges and Lawyers Assistance Committee (JLAP), the Indiana Bar Foundation (IBF) and the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA).  Chief Justice Shepard explained, “It cannot be easy to seek help for mental health or dependency troubles, so when someone comes to JLAP and is trying to find a path to recovery we want to provide them with the best possible resources.  Creating these funds will allow us to help those in our profession who need our assistance.”

The JLAP Treatment and Grant Fund will be used to make grants to lawyers who are in need of treatment but cannot afford it.  Approximately $30,000 from attorney registration fees has been used to start the fund.  JLAP also plans to solicit donations from attorneys, law firms, malpractice carriers and others.  The Friends of JLAP Fund will be used to support JLAP’s mission in general.  The money will be used for treatment grants, educational outreach and volunteer training. 

JLAP’s mission is to help impaired members of the profession find an avenue to recovery, to protect the public, the profession, and the judicial system from the potential harm caused by impaired legal professionals and to educate the bench and bar about impairment issues.  JLAP is a Supreme Court agency that offers confidential services.  The agency runs multiple support groups, provides consultations, referrals, screenings, support and monitoring.
 
Terry L. Harrell, Executive Director of JLAP explained, “We have been working on creating this sort of financial support for a long time.  It has been extremely frustrating to meet with a lawyer and know exactly what kind of treatment he or she needed but also realize they would not get that treatment because it is too expensive.  This will help us avoid that situation and instead provide attorneys with the support they need.” 

Harrell and Chief Justice Shepard extend their thanks to the IBF and the ISBA for their partnership.  Bill Jonas, ISBA President said the ISBA Board of Governors has allocated up to $5,000 to be used to help address emergency assessment or monitoring needs of Indiana lawyers. Jonas explained, “We are delighted that the ISBA has been able to provide funding to fill a need in the provision of certain emergency services to lawyers in need. The ISBA is fully committed to the goals of JLAP and we look forward to continued opportunities to work with JLAP in serving Indiana lawyers and judges.”

To seek confidential help from JLAP or to get more information on the agency all toll free (866) 428-JLAP (5527) or visit www.courts.in.gov/ijlap.