Legal Mental Health Charity LawCare Launches Champions Scheme

Legal mental health charity LawCare has launched a new advocacy scheme ‘LawCare Champions’ to coincide with World Mental Health Day, 10th October. The programme aims to appoint legal professionals in the UK to act as mental health and wellbeing advocates within the legal community.

Fourteen champions, including Charles Jacobs, Senior Partner and Chairman at Linklaters, James Pereira QC, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s Lloyd Rees, Herbert Smith Freehill’s Samantha Brown, David McCahon from Barclays and IP inclusive lead executive officer Andrea Brewster OBE have been appointed with more to follow next year.

Elizabeth Rimmer Chief Executive of LawCare said: “We are very proud to launch this new scheme on World Mental Health Day. This is a cross-jurisdiction, cross-profession initiative and our new champions have all been carefully chosen for their commitment, passion and enthusiasm in raising awareness about the importance of good mental health and wellbeing in the legal community. We hope our champions will help us to drive positive change in the culture of law. The theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day is suicide prevention, and we must all come together in the legal community to improve dialogue on mental health issues.”

The charity has also launched a new animated video highlighting the support they offer – available to view at www.lawcare.org.uk

The full list of champions are:

• Andrew Brewster OBE, Lead Executive Officer, IP inclusive
• Samantha Brown, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills
• Joanna Fleck, Co-founder Claiming Space
• Clare Good, Solicitor, Capital Law and Wellbeing Officer, Cardiff Law Society
• Catherine Hart, Partner and Professional Support Lawyer, Digby Brown
• Jodie Hill, Managing Director, Thrive Law
• Karen Jackson, Solicitor and Managing Director, didlaw
• Charles Jacobs, Senior Partner and Chairman, Linklaters
• David McCahon, Global Head of Commercial, Innovation and Technology Legal & Wellbeing Leader at Barclays James Pereira QC, Barrister and Coach
• Nick O’Neill, Governance and Practice Manager, Wirral Borough Council
• Lloyd Rees, Knowledge Lawyer, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
• Anna Robinson, Senior Solicitor and Psychotherapist
• Joanne Theodolou, General Counsel at Simply Business and Trustee of Mind, the mental health charity