The managing partner of law firm RDJ has said he hopes that its partnership with the Law Society on a new initiative will bring attitudes to mental health in the profession “to the next level”.

Jamie Olden was speaking in a video released by the firm about the pilot programme, which is called ‘Culture First: Well within the Law’.

Also speaking in the video, Antoinette Moriarty (head of Law Society Psychological Services) said that Culture First aimed to create “a whole new way of practising the law, in an environment in which people are valued and supported to thrive”.

Cultural challenges

Running over five months, the RDJ programme has involved a series of open conversations about culture within the firm, as well surveying all employees about how to optimise mental health and wellbeing, while remaining a highly effective law firm, with the inevitable periods of stress which that involves.

The Law Society has developed Culture First in response to growing concerns about significant cultural challenges and low wellbeing levels across the entire legal profession.

“Culture, if it’s nurtured, is the rocket-fuel for successful legal business,” Moriarty told the June issue of the Gazette.

Information and contacts

“It determines how well and how happy people are, their commitment to a team or organisation, also what is valued, how and with whom business is transacted, even influencing career progression – and who has a seat at the decision-making table,” she added.

More information about Culture First is available at www.lawsociety.ie/culture-first.

Legal workplaces who want to partner with Law Society Psychological Services can contact ps@lawsociety.ie.