The Bar Association of Erie County (BAEC), is a not-for-profit professional association, founded in 1887. The BAEC’s goal is to advance the administration of justice through programs and services for the legal profession and the public. The BAEC is a non-partisan association made up of over three thousand lawyers and judiciary from varied practices and backgrounds, including lawyers in civil and criminal practice, corporate and trial lawyers, defense counsel, in house counsel, and those working in government, educational, and nonprofit settings.
Anne Noble, Executive Director, on why the Bar Association is a member of the Anti-Stigma Coalition:
Mental health issues are experienced by all, and lawyers are no exception. For too long, there has been a stigma against talking about mental health in the legal community. Lawyers are historically very resistant to talking about and admitting to mental health issues, to protect their image, their reputation, and even their clients and business. Thankfully, the walls around addressing mental illness are slowly crumbing amongst lawyers and the judiciary, but we have a long way to go.
