Bar Leadership in Action: Wellness, Technology, and the Rule of Law

At ClioCon 2025, Patrick Palace sat down with bar leaders from across the country to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing bar associations and their members today. Jonathan Dunitz shares his deep commitment to promoting wellness and destigmatizing mental health and substance use challenges within the legal profession. Drawing on his own experiences with depression as an attorney, Jonathan offers a personal and insightful perspective, along with practical strategies and resources bar associations can implement to support their members. Next, Kevin Plachy highlights his bar association’s research into technology adoption and understanding among legal professionals. He presents key findings from the Washington State Bar Legal Technology Task Force’s survey,  Embracing Change: Strategic Roadmap for Washington’s Legal Profession in a Time of Technology Disruption, and offers actionable advice for how bar associations can help their members embrace and adapt to technological change. Finally, John Mudd discusses fostering bar community and transcending cultural and political divides. He shares how the State Bar of Montana works to uphold professional ethics and the rules of professional conduct—ensuring that lawyers honor their oaths to protect both the rule of law and the people they serve. Jonathan M. Dunitz is Counsel at Verrill’s Portland, Maine office and is a Past President of the Maine State Bar Association.  Kevin Plachy is Director of Advancement at the Washington State Bar.  John Mudd is Executive Director of the State Bar of Montana.