SJC panel report addresses attorney well-being
A steering committee created by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to study lawyer well-being recently issued its final report that includes a number of recommendations to reduce the stress of practicing law and help attorneys maintain healthy, balanced lives.
Joseph M. Cacace of Todd & Weld served on the Large Law Firm Subcommittee of the SJC's Committee on Lawyer Well-Being.
"I am honored to have served on the Large Firm Subcommittee and I look forward to continuing to help move the needle on this important issue," Mr. Cacace said. "I applaud the SJC for focusing on attorney well-being and mental health and I look forward to the SJC’s plan of action that it will develop based on the Steering Committee’s report.”
The report's many recommendations include establishing a permanent SJC standing committee on lawyer well-being; setting a minimum threshold expectation for billable hours and bonus availability no higher than 1,800 hours annually; changing the electronic-filing deadline at Massachusetts courts from its current 11:59 p.m. to diminish expectations that attorneys work in the evening to finish legal pleadings; and developing and implementing a comprehensive plan to enhance civility in the legal profession.
Mr. Cacace, who concentrates his litigation practice on complex business disputes and other civil matters, also serves on the Appellate Bench Bar Committee and Amicus Brief Committee of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and is on the Board of Governors of the SJC's Law Clerks' Society.