Inside the Bar
Nick Charles was a Drunk
No Laughing Matter
by George C. Brown,
State Bar executive director
I'M AN OLD MOVIE BUFF,
PARTICULARLY of films from the late 1930s through the 1940s. Some of my
favorites include "The Thin Man" series that starred William Powell and
Myrna Loy as reluctant detectives Nick and Nora Charles. I particularly
enjoy the swift, yet good-natured, sparring between Nick and Nora and
the always bumbling police detectives as they search for the surprise
murderer, all noir-ishly filmed in glorious black and white.
What I enjoy less and less is the drinking. In one memorable scene
Nora bursts into a fashionable bar after a day of Christmas shopping to
find that Nick is already six martinis ahead of her. She intends to
catch up and orders the bartender to line up six while Nick goes to work
on his seventh. The next morning she wakes up with a monstrous hangover.
Not only does Nick appear just fine, but after he finishes shooting
glass ornaments from the Christmas tree with his new pellet pistol, he
starts mixing himself another cocktail before breakfast.
All of this is done with mirth and good humor. But let's face it,
Nick Charles was a drunk.
What was funny before is discomfiting now. We hold different societal
expectations today than we did 60 or even 20 years ago. Tougher laws
against drunk driving, greater recognition of the health hazards of
over-drinking, and understanding that alcoholism is both a symptom and a
disease that can be treated, seriously question the idea that alcoholism
is mirthful and humorous.
If Nick Charles were a Wisconsin lawyer today, help would be just a
phone call away. The State Bar's Wisconsin Lawyer Assistance Program is
designed to help the Nick Charleses of our association. WisLAP works to
address Wisconsin lawyers' problems with alcohol, drugs, and stress. Two
State Bar staff members spend most of their time working with this
program. Lea Landmann works almost exclusively with lawyers suffering
from alcoholism. Shell Goar, who oversees the program, concentrates
principally on stress and depression issues, which, some argue, lead to
the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Both staff members work with numerous
volunteer attorneys who freely give their time and talents to help their
colleagues in need.
Many state bars offer lawyer assistance programs to help attorneys
overcome alcoholism, but Wisconsin is relatively unique in providing
help for the stress and depression that can seem so overwhelming -
especially during the holidays.
If you need help, or if you know a lawyer, whether friend, colleague,
or partner, who needs help, just call (800) 543-2625. Let us all have a
truly happy holiday season.
Wisconsin Lawyer
