Anxiety treatment and the bar Forum

[Anonymous User]

Sorry I know this is the wrong forum but I wanted to be anonymous.

I've been having bad anxiety issues lately... Have been thinking about seeing a doctor for meds.

It's making it really hard to focus on school right now.

If I seek treatment, I will have to disclose this, I believe. Will this prevent me from being admitted to the bar? Because if so, I guess I can't go to the doc about this.

[Gorki]

If you are on a forum asking if you need to go, you need to go bud. Idk if it will impact your admission to the bar, so long as you go now and get help... If you avoid the issue and then 5 years from now it REALLY causes some crazy interference with your ability to practice law, then you WILL have both a possible suspension and malpractice claim.

But just be honest, life is about more than work. If you live in mental pain for years and years, what was it worth? A few years of hefty paychecks? IMHO feeling good and at least somewhat happy is worth a lot more. Anxiety can lead to really bad things.

Just get help IMO. You can see what other posters say tho if you want. Wish you the best.

[thesealocust]

Of course it will make it impossible to get admitted to the bar.

Lawyers do not have health issues, mental or otherwise.

[NYstate]

Go get help. The bar examiners want people to get help. It is much better to get help and disclose than it is to suffer through anxiety. Getting help is a positive.

[Void]

Truthful answer: depends upon state. Almost no state will outright deny you for this, and many others won't care at all. In many (including mine) you do not have to disclose treatment for anxiety. If you are concerned a out it you should look at a bar app in your state and find the mental health question. But I agree that you should go seek help now- general anxiety disorder is not a sufficiently serious enough issue to sink your bar app.

[09042014]

Your doctor can't rat you out anyway.

[20160810]

It is only an issue if it can impact your ability to practice. It sounds like leaving it untreated is more likely to do that.

[Geist13]

Just call the office of the bar administrator tomorrow and ask them straight up. I called mine a number of times with various questions; they were very helpful. You don't have to give them your name or anything.

[thesealocust]

Also, to be real for a second, there is basically only one way to get dinged by C&F and that's lying to C&F. Maybe also committing egregious and unrepentant crimes near applying?

They have to diligence applicants to the bar, but they are a check up not an obstacle.

[lukertin]

Do you really think any state bar is so momentously stupid as to want to have a glut of mentally whacked lawyers who refuse to seek medical treatment because they're afraid they'll lose their ability to make a living?

[20160810]

Also, to be real for a second, there is basically only one way to get dinged by C&F and that's lying to C&F. Maybe also committing egregious and unrepentant crimes near applying?

They have to diligence applicants to the bar, but they are a check up not an obstacle.

Rumor has it a girl from my LS got a DUI literally the night before the bar exam. That's gota be a pwning.

[09042014]

Also, to be real for a second, there is basically only one way to get dinged by C&F and that's lying to C&F. Maybe also committing egregious and unrepentant crimes near applying?

They have to diligence applicants to the bar, but they are a check up not an obstacle.

Rumor has it a girl from my LS got a DUI literally the night before the bar exam. That's gota be a pwning.

I doubt it.

[mrsmartypants]

Your doctor can't rat you out anyway.

IIRC, at least some states require applicants to waive privilege if they've got a history of mental illness that falls within the scope of the disclosure requirements. (I'm only personally familiar with Texas but have heard this regarding others.)

That said, some (many?) states carve out classes of mental illnesses that don't require reporting. Texas only required disclosure of illnesses involving "psychosis" (e.g., schizophrenia). I think other states specifically carve out depression/anxiety as not requiring disclosure.

[thesealocust]

Also, to be real for a second, there is basically only one way to get dinged by C&F and that's lying to C&F. Maybe also committing egregious and unrepentant crimes near applying?

They have to diligence applicants to the bar, but they are a check up not an obstacle.

Rumor has it a girl from my LS got a DUI literally the night before the bar exam. That's gota be a pwning.

I mean maybe... I had a friendly chat with my C&F examiner about my crimes of moral turpentine and all the lessons I learned while being arrested 1L year. She didn't seem to care and now I am a sworn defender of several constitutions.