When the Client Threatens Suicide: A UB Symposium Confronts the Crisis

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- One of the most difficult and least explored issues for mental health is the role of the attorney who discovers she has a suicidal client. As courts become more focused on specific crimes -- and with the proliferation of domestic violence courts, veterans' courts, mental health courts and drug courts -- attorneys need training and guidance in understanding people suffering from mental health issues.

To fill this gap, the responsibility and appropriate response of attorneys aware of their clients' thoughts of suicide will be the topic of a two-day symposium beginning Dec. 4 and hosted by the University at Buffalo Law School's Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy.

The symposium, "Can Attorneys Disclose Clients' Suicidal Thoughts? Exploring the Ethical and Legal Issues," is aimed at helping practicing attorneys, scholars and those in public health agencies examine the professional and human issues faced by lawyers when depressed or despondent clients share their temptation to harm themselves.

Opening presentation will be given by Catherine Cerulli, director of research for the Women, Children and Social Justice Clinic in the UB Law School. Cerulli will speak 6 p.m. Dec. 4 on "Why It Matters: An Overview of Suicide as a Public Health Crisis and How It Impacts Attorney Practice."

"My experience in working both as an attorney and researcher on this project leads me to believe attorneys can be strategic players in the prevention of suicide," says Cerulli, who is also assistant professor psychiatry in the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Joining Cerulli on the program will be Teresa Collett, professor and fellow in the Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership, University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minn. She will give the keynote address: "Can Attorneys Disclose Clients' Suicidal Thoughts? Exploring the Ethical and Legal Issues" at 9 a.m. Dec.5.

The speakers will examine the multi-layered challenges and factors shaping the best ways attorneys can prevent suicide for their clients.

The symposium also will include two active jurists, Sharon S. Townsend, administrative judge in the Eighth Judicial District, and Patricia D. Marks, Monroe County Court Judge. Also participating are Eric Caine, chair of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kenneth R. Conner, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and attorney Edward Nowak, former public defender for Monroe County.

All will participate in a panel discussion "What Now? Exploring Case Examples of Client Disclosures" at 11 a.m. Dec. 5. Organizers stress the importance for attorneys to recognize the signs of suicidal intent in their clients, and understand the implications of their ethical obligations and case strategies.

The symposium also will include roundtable discussions led by Cerulli and Conner at 2 p.m. Dec. 5, during which attorneys will learn about suicide prevention resources and how to work within their own communities. Those attending will also discuss how to create and carry out a protocol to follow when the need for decisive and wise action arises.

The symposium is sponsored by a grant provided by the National Institute of Mental Health.

All programs will be in 509 O'Brian Hall on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. The full schedule is available at the Baldy Web site at: http://www.law.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/pdfs/SuicidalClientsDec08.pdf.

Since its founding in 1887, the University at Buffalo Law School -- the State University of New York system's only law school -- has established an excellent reputation and is widely regarded as a leader in legal education. Its cutting-edge curriculum provides both a strong theoretical foundation and the practical tools graduates need to succeed in a competitive marketplace, wherever they choose to practice. A special emphasis on interdisciplinary studies, public service and opportunities for hands-on clinical education makes UB Law unique among the nation's premier public law schools.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.