'Big Law Killed My Husband': An Open Letter from a Sidley Partner's Widow

Attorneys are regulated internally, by the bar itself. So the bar has set a number of ethical rules/regulations that attorneys must adhere to, otherwise be sanctioned/lose their license. For many attorneys, they must practice without help and without the option to stop. They cope by drinking/drugs.

One rule speaks to zealous advocacy of clientele. An attorney can't "quit" without doing so carefully, lest they face sanctions from the bar for hurting a client. Even when done carefully, many states won't let you out of a criminal case because you need out. Someone's freedom is depending on your availability. Complicating this is the fact that some areas of practice are not conducive to building large firms. Criminal defense, for example, is not the kind of practice where you can build a large firm. Most practitioners are solo attorneys. Generally, these attorneys practice without backup and without the ability to stop.

Another set of rules speaks to attorney client confidentiality. A disgruntled client now has infinite platform to complain (check out avvo.com which behaves a lot like Yelp does in every way), while attorneys have no recourse for most public complaints, lest the bar consider their speaking on the subject a breach of client confidentiality.

Bars in most states have tried to reach out with hotlines for lawyers. Seriously.