On Friday, October 1, 2004 the LAT sponsored a conference in Syracuse entitled: "Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession:  The Local Response."

Panelists discussed the nature of the problem of alcoholism and substance abuse in the legal profession, and the possible legal, medical and disciplinary consequences of ignoring the problem.

Particularly in upstate New York, where the geographic distances are large and the lawyer population relatively sparse, where local bar associations, for the most part do not have staff, the challenges for delivering lawyer assistance services are great.  Panelists discussed how several cities are now serving as hubs for neighboring counties and how committees and volunteers can be most useful. 

A "Model LAP Initiatives" Brochure, developed for this conference, describes wide-ranging options for supporting the lawyer assistance effort.