As part of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Larkin Hoffman President Joe Fittante opened up to Minnesota Lawyer about his own mental health challenges over the years. Fittante said his goal for the piece was to start a long-overdue conversation about mental health in the legal industry. He wanted his story to highlight how attorneys can have very successful careers while dealing with mental health challenges. He also talked about the importance of reaching out for help.

“Many people have these challenges, and the more we talk about them, the easier it will become for people to be OK not being OK and to seek support if, and when, needed,” Fittante told Minnesota Lawyer. “I want people to know that you can still be successful, however you define that, and have mental health challenges.”

To underscore the importance of mental health for attorneys and professional staff in the legal industry, last month, Larkin Hoffman introduced a new partnership with a local mental health clinic to offer all attorneys and employees access to mental health and other health-related services such as sleep evaluations, lifestyle assessments and nutrition consultations. This was in addition to traditional resources covered by health insurance and access to Certified Mental Health First Aid responders. Larkin Hoffman also offers employees free gym facilities and hosts staff connection events to promote employees’ social and emotional wellbeing. The Firm also hosted a mental health CLE program this week, open to all employees, to talk about the challenges those in the high-stress legal industry face.

To read about Fittante’s mental health journey and his message to other attorneys, you can view the Minnesota Lawyer article here.