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53 U. Kan. L. Rev. 875 (2004-2005)
Depression, Substance Abuse, and Intellectual Property Lawyers

handle is hein.journals/ukalr53 and id is 887 raw text is: Depression, Substance Abuse, and Intellectual Property Lawyers Carol M Langford* I. INTRODUCTION This report began as a review of existing research into the prevalence of substance abuse and depression among intellectual property lawyers. However, it eventually became clear that this type of research has never been done. There are many studies in circulation examining depression and substance abuse in the legal community in general (see Part II and Part III of this Article), but none have gone so far as to focus on this par- ticular practice area. Without any studies to provide foundation, this report slowly evolved. Instead of merely compiling the statistics of other articles and assembling one comprehensive report, we were forced to undertake a much more daunting task. Parts II and III of this Article provide statisti- cal information about lawyers in general. Part IV focuses specifically on the personality types of intellectual property attorneys. Part V is dedi- cated to analyzing the results of survey of intellectual property lawyers that was developed and distributed in connection with this project. It was conducted in order to expand the body of information about sub- stance abuse and depression among intellectual property lawyers. Part VI of this Article reviews recent State Bar cases across the country that have involved some claim of chemical dependency or substance abuse by lawyers, usually offered as a mitigating factor. The final section of this report, Part VII, offers conclusions about the survey and provides rec- ommendations for how the intellectual property community should move forward and use the information presented in this report. It is also important to note that this report examines a subject that those in the legal community are often afraid to talk about. Unfortu- nately, there seems to be a stigma attached to anyone in the professional * Carol M. Langford is an adjunct professor of law at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She is current chair of the ABA Intellectual Property Section Ethics Committee. Her prac- tice consists of attorney misconduct and legal malpractice cases. She is grateful to her law clerks Marie Davis, Sonia Deshmukh and Sara Youngblood for their assistance on this report.

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