Confidentiality and Privacy Policy
The New Hampshire Lawyers Assistance Program has been providing confidential, discrete and respectful assistance since 2007.
NHLAP is a crisis counseling, peer assistance, and referral program that helps NH law students, lawyers and judges challenged by substance misuse, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and any other problem that impairs the ability to practice law.
NHLAP staff, Board members and volunteers can help by providing personal outreach, appropriate referrals to licensed providers and ideas for concrete solutions. NHLAP can help save lives and careers.
Of utmost importance and as foundational support is NH Supreme Court Rule 58 which guarantees CONFIDENTIALITY for NHLAP staff, Board members, volunteers and clients. All NHLAP staff, Board members and volunteers sign a confidentiality acknowledgment that details both the policy and rule requirements concerning NHLAP and strict confidentiality. However, as most lawyers know, there are limited exceptions to this confidentiality, such as when an individual is a danger to his/herself or to others.
Further, Rule 58.9 expressly relieves any staff member, Board member or volunteer from the reporting requirement for attorney misconduct under NH Rule of Professional Conduct 8.3. In addition to the rule that provides for confidentiality, NHLAP staff, Board members and volunteers personally pledge to keep all information confidential. Many volunteers follow the principles of 12-step recovery established by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) wherein anonymity and confidentiality are the spiritual foundations of the program.
Lawyers Caring for Lawyers (LCL), the peer support group that meets monthly to provide group support for lawyers with substance misuse issues and any other impairment also fall under the confidential umbrella of NHLAP. All participants adhere to the philosophy “what happens at LCL meetings, stays at LCL meetings.”
You can reach NHLAP for help at 877-224-6060