Message from the President, February 2026

GBA friends, many in our profession routinely work with substantial risk they will suffer from secondary trauma.  Criminal attorneys review horrifying photos or video evidence.  Family lawyers hear about their client’s experiences of domestic violence.  Child welfare attorneys work with children who have suffered abuse or neglect.  Judges hear all of these and more in court.  In many areas of the law, the need for legal services is directly tied to the client’s trauma or the suffering of someone close to them.  What’s more, just about anyone may have a client who unloads their distress onto their attorney, whether or not it’s connected with the legal issue they’re discussing.

When I was a young attorney, I had the idea that to be professional, I needed to “toughen up,” and “deal with” the kinds of secondary trauma exposures that lawyers experience without letting them affect me.  With the benefit of more experience, I recognize how impossible that really is.  Our reaction to trauma exposure is not something that we can directly control – it lies deeper than that.  As we accumulate traumatic exposures and work harder to squelch our natural response, the inevitable effects build up whether or not we acknowledge them.  What’s more, responding to the suffering of others is a deeply human trait; if we suppress our response, we are denying our own humanity and care for others.  Denying our humanity does spiritual damage.

Secondary trauma like this also directly affects physical health.  We might experience sleep loss, suppressed immune response, headaches, stomach knotting, a racing heart.  We could experience anxiety or panic attacks.  We may be at risk to develop eating disorders or addictions.  In addition to the effects on us, it may affect our relationships with family or loved ones, as trauma makes us withdrawn or affects our behavior toward them.

The first step in addressing secondary trauma is to acknowledge it.  We have a responsibility to ourselves to take a step back, and think about what we are exposed to and how it affects us.  We must also explicitly recognize that denial is not a good coping strategy.  Once we recognize those fundamental facts, each of us should develop the tools to manage better our trauma exposure.  That may include exercise, spending time outside, journaling, arts, or working with a therapist.  Many of us have heard the tools that we can use to manage the strains of our work, but still struggle to make them a priority.  However, this kind of care for yourself should be your highest priority, not a secondary plan “when I get around to it.”  You owe it to yourself and your loved ones.  Take care of yourselves, friends.

Hon. Bill Davis
President, Greensboro Bar Association
and the 24th Judicial District Bar