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alcohol or drugs. 4By comparison, among the general population, including persons inother highly stressful professions such as physicians and pilots, the estimated rate ofchemical abuse is at a much lower eight to ten percent. 5More recently, studiesconducted in numerous jurisdictions have pegged the rate of alcoholism in the legalprofession at between 15% and 24%. 6Likewise, illicit drug use is prominent in the legalprofession. In 1990, the international Journal of Law and Psychiatry published a studyon the prevalence of drug abuse in the legal profession and found that 26 percent oflawyers had used cocaine at least once, a rate more than twice the general population. 7Many jurisdictions have discovered that there is a correlation between alcoholism andmalpractice and discipline. Studies in Canada and in the United States estimate thatapproximately 60% of discipline prosecutions involve alcoholism. Similarly, over 60% ofall malpractice claims involve alcohol abuse. 8More significantly, a recent study hassuggested that 90% of serious disciplinary matters involve alcohol abuse. It is clear thatalcoholism in the legal profession is a very, very costly problem. 9Of similar concern, depression among lawyers is higher than all other professions.Research shows 33 percent of lawyers suffer from mental health issues, and that 194 Todd C. Scott, Lawyer seeks Treatment, Boss Seeks Assurance, ABA LAW TRENDS AND NEWS, Vol. 7,No. 3 (Spring 2011)http://www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/law_trends_news_practice_area_e_newsletter_home/2011_spring/managing_lawyer_treatment.html.5 Id.6 Id.7 Id.8 See note 4, supra.9 Legal Profession Assistance Conference, Drug and Alcohol Abuse & Addiction in the Legal Profession,http://www.benchmarkinstitute.org/t_by_t/mcle/sa.pdf.7

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