Balancing the Scales: Attorney Wellness and Practice Management
Date: Oct 29, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, and Online
Member Price: $159.00
Non-Member Price: $199.00
Section Price: $0.00
Areas of Law: Ethics
Earn up to 3.3 credits, including 3.3 in Ethics! (More Information)
Featured Speaker
Moderator
- Catherine Finnerty, Esq.
- Goldman & Beslow, LLC, East Orange
Presenters
- Dr. Defne Ekin
- Team Clinician, New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program, New Brunswick
- Hillary Horton, Esq.
- Counsel To Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, Trenton
- Ryan J. Moriarty, Esq.
- Assistant Ethics Counsel and Statewide Ethics Coordinator, Office of Attorney Ethics, Trenton
- Michael K. Tuzzio, Esq.
- Ronan, Tuzzio, & Giannone, P.C., Tinton Falls
- Alicia F. Williams, Esq.
- Director and Counsel, New Jersey Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, Trenton
Managing the numerous responsibilities of being an attorney can be daunting. An experienced panel will provide interesting and realistic strategies on how to balance practicing law while maintaining wellness. Client needs, case deadlines, law office management, court requirements, and ethical responsibilities are some of many obligations for attorneys. Listen to updates on succession planning, an important consideration for attorneys and small law firms. Learn practical and psychological strategies to organize obligations. Explore cognitive information to help address the responsibilities of practicing law and staying well. Register today!
Program Agenda
9 a.m. | Overview – Catherine Finnerty, Esq., Moderator
9:05 a.m. | Court Requirements and Deadlines – Panel discussion
Issues
- Court requirements
- Court deadlines
- Internal calendaring and diary systems
- Attorney coverage and the use of prepared coverage counsel
- Disclosure of coverage arrangements to clients
- Withdrawing from a case
Ethics
- Communication, diligence and competence
- Succession planning
Attorney Wellness
Part I: Well-Being Impact
- Ongoing deadline pressure can create chronic stress, mental overload and a persistent sense that something important may be falling through the cracks.
Part II: Psychological Constructs
- Avoidance cycle
- Planning fallacy and the Zeigarnik effect
- Positive construct: Self-efficacy
9:40 a.m. | Representation, Client Needs and Law Office Management – Panel discussion
Issues
- Managing client relationships
- Managing attorneys and staff within a law firm
- The counselor role of attorneys
- Balancing professional responsibilities
- Challenges of remote practice
- Mentoring attorneys and staff
- Vacation coverage and reduced personal interaction
Ethics
- Communication, diligence and competence
- RPC 1.14: Client with a Disability
Attorney Wellness
Representation and Client Needs
Part I: Well-Being Impact
- Repeated exposure to clients’ fear, anger, urgency and distress can contribute to emotional exhaustion, particularly when attorneys have difficulty separating clients’ experiences from their own.
Part II: Psychological Constructs
- Emotional contagion
- Healthy empathy and boundaries
- Positive construct
Law Office Management
Part I: Well-Being Impact
- Managing large volumes of information, decisions and competing demands can deplete attention and mental energy.
Part II: Psychological Constructs
- Cognitive load
- Task switching
- Positive construct: Cognitive offloading
10:10 a.m. | Ethical Responsibilities of Attorneys – Panel discussion
Issues
- Supervision of staff
- Retainer agreements
- Conflicts of interest
- Identifying clients
- Client representation
- Managing client expectations
- Law firm management
- Billing practices
- Commingling of funds
- Recognizing professional limitations
Ethics
- Communication, diligence and competence
- RPC 1.2: Scope of Representation
Attorney Wellness
Part I: Well-Being Impact
- Heavy workloads and competing demands can create decision strain and make it more difficult to recognize when a routine practice-management issue presents an ethical concern.
Part II: Psychological Constructs
- Ethical fading
- Motivated reasoning
- Positive construct: Ethical awareness
10:40 a.m. | Break
10:50 a.m. | Succession Planning – Panel discussion
Issues
- Problems that may arise from the absence of a succession plan
- Potential effects on the attorney, staff, family and professional legacy
Ethics
- Communication, diligence and competence
- RPCs and ABA Model Rules addressing attorney succession planning
- Risks for attorneys without a succession plan
- Benefits for attorneys with a succession plan
- New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection
Attorney Wellness
- Challenges faced by attorneys without a succession plan
- Benefits for attorneys with a succession plan
- New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection
Part I: Well-Being Impact
- Avoiding plans for retirement, illness, incapacity or unexpected absence can create ongoing stress while increasing risk for clients and the practice.
Part II: Psychological Constructs
- Optimism bias
- Present bias
- Positive construct
11:20 a.m. | Recognizing Your Limits, Seeking Consultation and Available Resources – Panel discussion
Ethics
- Communication, diligence and competence
Resources
- Ethics Hotline
- Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics
- Committee on Attorney Advertising
- Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law
- Duties under the Rules of Professional Conduct
- Court Rules
Succession Planning Resources
- The Succession Planning Handbook
Attorney Wellness
Part I: Well-Being Impact
- Experienced attorneys may feel pressure to appear fully competent in every situation, making it difficult to acknowledge uncertainty or seek assistance when facing unfamiliar issues.
Part II: Psychological Constructs
- Impostor phenomenon
- Psychological safety
- Positive construct: Courageous vulnerability
Wellness Resources
- New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- Confidentiality protections
12 p.m. | Adjourn
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