October 23, 2025
By Bob Glaves | CBF Executive Director
Take it from Captain Obvious, 2025 has been quite a ride so far. Irrespective of where we fall on the political spectrum, the rapid pace of change in federal policies and practices, the seemingly constant challenges to longstanding norms, and the frustrating and often heartbreaking direct impact it is having on so many people in our community is bringing added anxiety and stress for just about all of us.
I am no wellness expert, but an actual expert shared a great practical tip in a recent column in the Wall Street Journal about a Hawaiian tradition that we call can easily put into practice. It really works and is particularly timely and relevant for those of us in the legal community.
The author of that recent Wall Street Journal column, “I Study Stress. This Cure Surprised—and Helped—Me”, was a stress physiologist named Rebecca Heiss. As the title suggests, even she was surprised about what she learned, and I encourage you to read her whole column when you have a few minutes.
The upshot of her column was that while she was in Hawaii for work, complete strangers jumped in to help her when she ran into some problems before an important presentation on the Big Island (set in motion by a lost suitcase). While these people helped her out of kindness, they also recognized it was good for them too, part of a larger Hawaiian tradition of taking care of others for the benefit of all concerned. And the impact was contagious, with each person helped by another wanting to pay it forward to help someone else.
Heiss was impressed by what she experienced in Hawaii and went on to do more research into the perceived benefits from this practice. From her column:
“A study of workplace interventions to reduce stress, published in Industrial Relations Journal in 2024, revealed a startling truth: Of the 90 different stress-reduction strategies tested in corporate settings, which included meditation, massage and breathing exercises, only one consistently mitigated the negative effects of stress: serving others.”
The Unique Ways We Can Benefit from this Tradition as Lawyers and Legal Professionals
As I noted in my October post a few years ago, what Ms. Heiss described in that Wall Street Journal column is a real thing: helping others is good for you, and as lawyers and legal professionals we are uniquely positioned to use our time and expertise to help people in need of legal assistance.
The National Institutes of Health has published a synopsis of the many studies showing volunteering is good for your health and happiness, “The beneficial effects of volunteering on health outcomes have been well documented. Research has found that participation in voluntary services is significantly predictive of better mental and physical health, life satisfaction, self-esteem, (and) happiness,” among other positive health outcomes.
Give Until it Feels Good
Just as science confirms that volunteering is good for us, giving to help others has a whole range of benefits as well.
Just a couple of the research headlines I cited in my prior post tells the story: “Being Generous Really Does Make You Happier,” and “Giving, Rather Than Receiving, Leads to Lasting Happiness: Study.”
And once again, we as lawyers and legal professionals have the ability to make a distinct difference by supporting pro bono, legal aid, and related access to justice efforts.
If Not Now, When?
With this year’s CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week just around the corner, there are a number of free and easy opportunities to get involved throughout the week of October 27. And if you are outside of the Chicago area, this week kicks off a national celebration as well, and the ABA can help you find ways to get involved in your area.
If you can’t make it to one of the Pro Bono Week events or are reading this later, don’t fret. The CBF is your year-round resource on all things pro bono, and you should always feel free to get in touch if you have questions on how best to get involved.
The same is true for giving to support the cause. You can feel good year-round by making a donation to the CBF or one of our many outstanding pro bono and legal aid partners. Attorneys have one more reason to be happy right now too: when you fill out the pro bono reporting sections on your annual attorney registration statement for the ARDC, you will feel even better by reporting on your pro bono and giving.
Lead by Example
By helping others in a way that only we as lawyers and other legal professionals can through pro bono, we not only are helping people in need but helping ourselves in the process. And in the Hawaiian tradition, your impact will be contagious. Happy Pro Bono Week and go forth and be generous!