Today marks a historic step forward in addressing the ongoing mental health crisis in the legal profession. Future generations of New York lawyers no longer need to live in fear that bravely and smartly seeking treatment for mental health issues could one day derail their careers.
— New York State Bar Association President Henry M. Greenberg, in comments given following an announcement by Chief Judge Janet DiFiore of the New York Court of Appeals that the State Bar’s proposal to remove mental health-related questions from the New York bar application had been approved. DiFiore noted in her State of the Judiciary address that “the amended application will no longer ask intrusive questions about a candidate’s mental health conditions or treatment history.” New York is the eleventh state to remove questions about mental health treatment from its state bar application.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.