Originally The Delaware Lawyers Assistance Committee was established to assist lawyers who experienced addiction and substance abuse problems that interfered with their personal lives or their ability to serve as lawyers. A separate committee, the Professional Guidance Committee, was established to assist members of the Bar with peer counseling and guidance in their professional careers.

Over time, there was a lot of overlap as people with professional guidance needs often had other person needs.  In 2022, DE-LAP combined the two committees as the Professional Guidance and Lawyers Assistance Committee.  The scope of the combined committee has expanded to include not just issues of substance abuse and peer counseling, but all types of addiction, mental health issues, and any other issue that an attorney might need help to work through.

Attorneys on these committees are the backbone of DE-LAP’s mission.  Committee members represent a diverse group of lawyers from varying types of practice, geographical location in the State, and life experiences. 

The Committee meets quarterly to discuss advocacy, policy, and strategic issues.  Some, but not all of the committee members have personally experienced and recovered from serious problems that affected their careers and quality of life.  Others have witnessed these problems in loved ones or colleagues. 

 

 

 

Today, the Delaware Lawyers Assistance Committee has expanded their scope to include, but not be limited to, issues of substance abuse/dependence, depression, gambling addiction, and other illnesses. This long-standing Committee remains the backbone of the Delaware Lawyers Assistance (DE-LAP) Program. It is a network of over 20 Delaware attorneys who have volunteered to help fellow Delaware attorneys.

The attorneys who are members of the Committee represent a diverse group of lawyers in every sense of the word. The attorneys have a wide range of practice areas drawn from all three counties. The Committee has regular quarterly meetings where advocacy, policy, and strategic issues are discussed. These meetings are held in all three counties and are hosted by Committee members of each particular county.

Some of the attorneys who are Committee members are practicing attorneys who, at some points, were pulled back from their abyss through the efforts of the Lawyers Assistance Committee. These Committee members have personally experienced and recovered from the unmanageability of problems that affected their quality of life. Other members have not experienced substance abuse or emotional problems themselves but have witnessed the consequences of these problems on family, friends, or fellow attorneys and have decided to volunteer their time because of their desire to assist their fellow attorneys.

Attorneys seeking professional guidance can find assistance in peer counseling, assistance in keeping up with the demands of their firms, avoiding errors before they are committed by gaining insight from seasoned practitioners, or any other professional concern.

All of the attorneys on the list below would happily receive an email or a call to help.  Everything with DE-LAP and its committee is CONFIDENTIAL.

For more information, email Mark Vavala at mvavala@de-lap.org to apply to be a volunteer of this Committee.