Transcripts  - The Lawyer Assistance Program Experience, Part 1 
(5:30)

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♪

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  I'm here because
  I had a profound experience
  coming to L.A.P.

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 It completely changed my life,

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 and because it changed my life
  in so many ways,

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  I, I want other people
  to benefit from that

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  and to know how great
  this program is,

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  and I am happy to be here
  to help share that
  with other people.

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  ♪

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  The mission of the
  Lawyer Assistance
  Program

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  is to support recovering
  attorneys, so that they can
  continue in or

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  return to the competent
  practice of the law.

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  When L.A.P. was created
  it was an avenue

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  to be able to let a lawyer
  get help, continue to
  practice law,

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  while they made restitution,
  while they showed

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  the State Bar that they
  could rehabilitate.

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  ♪

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  It started with a D.U.I. That
  was right,that was when the
  consequences began to
  stack up.

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 I was made aware of the program

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  through the office of the

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  Chief Trial Council of the 
  State Barr of California.

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  Ah, discipline charges were
  filed against me.

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 I had gotten into some trouble,
  ah, legal trouble,

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  and that involved
  the State Bar.

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  I joined the program uhm,
  because I discovered that I
 had a major depression problem

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  that affected my uhm,
  ability to function and make
  good decisions.

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 You may know that you are on
 the wrong track, but not know
  how to make it right,

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 and that's usually the people
 that come to us. We're there
 to help you make it right.

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  In the beginning that might
  seem like too, uh, too
  much to handle.

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  Our job is to make it
  doable for you, so that
  we are all successful.

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  I was just doing it
  'cause I thought this was,

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  that my attorney had advised
 that this was something to do

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  and I said okay. 
  I'll try it.

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  and had no idea what
  I was getting myself into.

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  ♪

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  We are not about trying to
  replace the various treatment
 resources that are  available 

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  in communities throughout
  the state.

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  It's really about trying to
  support and assist someone,

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  and guide them through
  the recovery process,

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  and perhaps recommend
 additional support resources

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  that will be useful and
  beneficial to them in
  their recovery.

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  Our program actually
  provides therapy,

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 provides this group process

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 provides the sense of support,
 where all of these attorneys
  can come together
  and connect 

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  If you're open to the 
  possibility that  your life
  can change,

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  your life can change.

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  Be opened-minded to it.
  It's absolutely transformed
  my life.

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  I had no anticipation
  or expectation of that.

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  Here it was about
  personal development.

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  Here it was an openness,
 it was...this is really so that
  you can heal,

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  so that you can go out
  and help other people, uhm,
  by doing your job right.

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 I had no idea that some very
 essentially simple changes in
  one's life

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 in terms of becoming sober, and
 not engaging in repeatably
  negative behaviors,

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  could result in such
 amazingly positive consequence.

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  and it took the Lawyer's
  Assistance Program for
  me to do that.

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  Today I have ah,
  7 years, ah,

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  1 month ah,

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  5 days and 6 hours
  of sobriety.

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  I can't even describe the
  feeling when we see a
  participant graduate.

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  It's the most fulfilling
  uh, better than any drug.

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  To, to see someone who came
  in here broken,

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 scared, uh, no where to turn.

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  Their family has left them
  the State Bar is ready
  to revoke their license,

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  turn around now they're
 functioning again in society.

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 They're back with their family.

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  They're a successful
  attorney again.

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  They've made a whole
  network of friends again.

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  Ah, in the lawyer community,
  and their life
  is going to change.

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  I think that anybody who
  wants to improve their life
  should come here,

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  that they should give it a
  chance and they should
  try this because

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 it is an incredible program.

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 I think it works fabulously.

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  yeah. 

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  ♪