I contributed the following short blurb for the Akron Law Health Law Newsletter for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

Lawyers are trained to ask hard questions. But when the question is “Are you thinking about suicide?,” many of us hesitate. We worry it is too personal, too blunt, or might somehow make things worse. There is no better time than National Suicide Prevention Month for the legal profession to retire that myth.

A new ABA study found that 41 percent of lawyers believe their time in the profession has harmed their mental health. Law students also warrant particular concern: a 2021 survey found that 11 percent had seriously considered suicide during the previous year—up from 6 percent in 2014. Beyond our community, 14.3 million American adults considered suicide in 2024, while three in five adults know or have worried about someone affected by suicidal thoughts or behavior. 

Yet suicidal thoughts, as common and normal as they are, remain invisible until someone feels safe enough to speak. The culture of law certainly makes that harder. Students and lawyers may fear that admitting distress will cause others to see them as weak or professionally unfit. Neither is true. 

Disclosure is crucial to suicide prevention. It gives another person the chance to listen, recognize risk, and help connect someone to the kind of support they might actually accept. That is why the National Institute of Mental Health recommends asking directly: “Are you thinking about suicide?” Research shows that asking does not increase suicidal thoughts or behavior. It does not plant the idea; it makes clear that the person can answer honestly.

If the answer is yes, listen without judgment. Ask whether they are in immediate danger. Help them call or text 988 and connect with professional or trusted support. If the danger is immediate, contact emergency services. The University has a list of resources here. 

Anyone can play a role in suicide prevention. While a conversation is not a complete intervention, it is a crucial opening—a chance to replace secrecy with recognition and isolation with connection. Making someone feel seen and heard can interrupt a crisis and, oftentimes, save a life. I know because I have needed that kind of conversation too.

For a profession built on asking difficult questions, this one should never be off-limits.