CLE
Claire E. Parsons
Claire E. Parsons Bricker Graydon LLP
Emotional Strain in Law Identifying and Managing Empathic Overwhelm
Emotional Strain in Law: Identifying and Managing Empathic Overwhelm

Join us for a CLE webinar where we challenge the common misconceptions around 'compassion fatigue' in the legal profession. It's often noted that lawyers prioritize their clients' needs above their own, leading to personal and professional challenges. However, the true issue isn't compassion, but rather 'empathic overwhelm.' In this session, you'll discover the crucial distinctions between empathy and compassion and how these differences significantly impact your legal career and personal well-being. Led by Claire E. Parsons, a lawyer, author, mindfulness and compassion educator, and founder of the Brilliant Legal Mind blog, this session will equip you with practical strategies to nurture compassion, avoid overwhelm, and effectively handle the stresses of legal practice and everyday life.

Topics covered include:
Agenda:
  • Introduction & Overview
    • Introduction to the speaker
    • Overview of emotional strain in law
    • Symptoms commonly described as compassion fatigue

  • Review of Ethical Rules
    • Empathic overwhelm and attorney ethical duties
    • Rule 1.1 Competence and Comment 5
    • Rule 1.3 Diligence
    • Rules 3.4 and 3.5

  • What Is Empathic Overwhelm and Why Is It a Concern for Lawyers
    • Compassion fatigue v. empathic overwhelm
    • Understanding empathy
    • Empathy v. compassion
    • Elements of compassion
    • Compassion is natural and you can train it

  • Strategies for Managing Empathic Overwhelm
    • Basic mindfulness practice
    • Staying in your window of tolerance
    • Invoking common humanity

  • Conclusion & Additional Resources
    • Speaker contact information
    • Where to learn more about mindfulness

  • Questions & Answers (as time permits)
Read More
Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes
Originally broadcast: November 11, 2025 10:00 AM PT
Speaker
Claire E. Parsons
Claire E. Parsons Of Counsel
Bricker Graydon LLP

Claire E. Parsons is Of Counsel with Bricker Graydon LLP. She practices in the areas of school law, employment law, and litigation in both Kentucky and Ohio. In addition to being an experienced attorney, mom of two girls, and active community leader, Claire is a popular and well-known speaker and writer on the topics of attorney mental health, mindfulness, compassion, and stress management. She is the Chair of the wellness committee for the Ohio State Bar Association and Bricker Graydon. Read More ›

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

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California CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Wellness Competence

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.20 Ethics/Professionalism

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Professional Well-Being

South Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Substance Abuse/Mental Health

Difficulty: All Levels

Texas CLE

Status: Pending

Credits: TBD


This presentation is approved for one hour of Wellness Competence CLE credit in California, one hour of Professional Well-Being CLE credit in North Carolina, and one hour of Substance Abuse/Mental Health CLE credit in South Carolina (all levels). This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.20 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 1.20 qualify as total hours of credit for Ethics/Professionalism. An application for accreditation of this activity has been submitted to the MCLE Committee of the State Bar of Texas and is pending.

Justia only reports attendance in jurisdictions in which a particular Justia CLE Webinar is officially accredited. Lawyers may need to self-submit their certificates for CLE credit in jurisdictions not listed above.

Note that CLE credit, including partial credit, cannot be earned outside of the relevant accreditation period. To earn credit for a course, a lawyer must watch the entire course within the relevant accreditation period. Lawyers who have viewed a presentation multiple times may not be able to claim credit in their jurisdiction more than once. Justia reserves the right, at its discretion, to grant an attendee partial or no credit, in accordance with viewing duration and other methods of verifying course completion.

At this time, Justia only offers CLE courses officially accredited in certain states. Lawyers may generate a generic attendance certificate to self-submit credit in their own jurisdiction, but Justia does not guarantee that lawyers will receive their desired CLE credit through the self-submission or reciprocity process.

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