(The Center Square) – The Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, is conducting a national research project to learn more about the well-being of Hispanic attorneys.
RMCOEH, a partnership between the University of Utah and Weber State University, announced in a press release last month that the project will be a collaboration between the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Institute for Well-Being in Law.
Matthew Thiese, Ph.D., Rocky Mountain Center’s chief operating officer and vice president of research and scholarship for the Institute for Well-Being in Law, will direct the project.
The research will be done via a nationwide wellness survey. It hopes to amplify the experiences of Hispanic attorneys.
Problems in the legal profession generally include stress, long hours, demanding clients, substance abuse, mental health problems, and burnout.
However, the school said that Hispanic attorneys may face other issues not faced by their peers.
“It is rewarding for me and the Rocky Mountain Center to be involved with such an important project,” Thiese, a University of Utah professor, said in the release. “This work has the potential, ultimately, to make a difference in many people’s lives. As a researcher in the field of occupational safety and health, that’s what gets you out of bed in the morning. I’m grateful to the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Institute for Well-Being in Law for their leadership in making this research possible.”
Thiese and his team at RMCOEH will distribute the wellness survey this fall. They plan to make the results of the research available next spring.
“In addition to highlighting challenges Hispanic attorneys encounter, the results will identify areas for improvement and best practices,” the release said. “The end goal is to raise awareness of issues, create resources and support mechanisms for Hispanic attorneys, and promote systemic changes to foster a healthier, more inclusive environment within the legal industry.”
Mariana Bravo, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, praised the project. She said it is an important step toward “empowering our community to thrive and excel.”
The Hispanic National Bar Association is funding the project. People interested in participating can find the survey at the Hispanic National Bar Association website, hnba.com.
The organization that became the Hispanic National Bar Association was funded with a grant from the left-leaning Ford Foundation and originally named the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. It later became the La Raza National Lawyers Association, reaching national recognition with opposition to Nixon Supreme Court appointments.
The group’s goal is to “serve the interests of the Hispanic legal community and to advance the representation and influence of Hispanic lawyers, judges, legal professionals, academics, and law students, and to advocate on issues affecting the broader Hispanic community.”
