From man’s best friend to a lawyer’s best partner? How some law firms utilize therapy dogs
Philip is the newest hire at MK Law, a law firm just outside of Melbourne, Australia, that focuses on criminal defense.
The firm was looking for someone warm, gentle and endlessly patient— someone who could bring a sense of calm to clients, who are often overwhelmed during their first consultations.
That’s when Philip padded onto the scene. He doesn’t wear a tie, and he’s been known to nap on the job.
He needs regular walks but will work for food, treats and belly rubs. Most importantly, his resumé is stacked with cuddle experience, tail wags and a sixth sense for spotting stress. The Labrador retriever had been training for the position for months, and he was exactly who the firm needed: someone comforting when clients and attorneys are stressed.
One man who was charged with indecent assault could barely speak during his first meeting at MK Law, says Marcus Denning, the principal and senior lawyer there. His breathing was unsteady, his hands were trembling, and every time he tried to explain what happened, he would shut down.
That was until Philip trotted into the room.
“The dog sits quietly during interviews that we know will involve confronting or sensitive details, particularly in sex offense cases or where someone has a history of trauma,” Denning says.
“Its presence has helped clients calm down enough to collect their thoughts and speak with more clarity.”
Ruff days
At a time when 95% of attorneys in the United States report experiencing stress and 51% report chronic stress, according to Law360 Pulse’s 2025 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey, getting that stress under control is crucial.
“The need to mitigate stress is high, and the presence of the dogs can do that,” says Terry Harrell, executive director of the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. Her golden retriever, Sam, who is certified as a therapy dog, visits law firms, lawyer conferences, judicial conferences, law schools and courthouses—and he’s available for anyone who wants to rub his belly.
“The side benefit is that people get to know me or other staff with us and become more willing to call us when they have a problem,” Harrell says. “And they get the immediate stress relief as well while interacting with Sam or one of the other therapy dogs.”
A study in the American Psychological Association’s peer-reviewed journal Emotion found that the participants who spent time with their dog after a stressful task experienced a better mood and reduced anxiety than those who did not.
So law firms and the courts have been steadily adding therapy dogs, court facility dogs and untrained dogs that happen to be calm and comforting. While there is no official record of the number of dogs in legal facilities, Duo Dogs Inc.—a company that trains and places assistance and facility dogs—says they’ve put more than 30 dogs in legal facilities, each with at least two years of training. The ABA approves: The House of Delegates passed a resolution in 2021 supporting the use of trained dogs to help witnesses during testimony.
And at ABA Techshow in April, attorneys cuddled with therapy dogs that licked their faces and sat in their laps. Some of the attorneys even inquired about getting a therapy dog into their law firm, says Julie Case, CEO and owner of Ultimate Canine in Westfield, Indiana. “For law offices,” Case says, “It’s just the beginning of the trend.”
Law firms are choosing to acquire therapy dogs to help staff and clients deal with stress. Their training can last from six months to a year, according to the Dog Alliance, which offers therapy dog training services. Court facility dogs are trained for about two years to stay quiet for hours at a time when court is in session and to comfort those in need when they’re in the office. Court facility dogs and their handlers must pass the Assistance Dogs International Public Access Test as a team and get recertified periodically.
Law paw-tner
While there are few studies regarding law firms and their use of therapy dogs, a 2024 study by Ohio State University found that therapy dogs nearly doubled the positive mood of the participating health care workers.
Juno, a golden retriever, joined the staff of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Centralized Verification Service in Washington, D.C., in November after receiving seven months of training along with her certification to become a therapy dog.
Roy Kaufmann, an attorney and director of the organization, says he decided to get a therapy dog after recognizing that legal battles—particularly for soldiers with financial issues or other problems with their home—are extremely stressful.
“I’ve seen her coax a reserved veteran to speak about things he bottled up in sessions,” Kaufmann says. Another client was a Marine in danger of losing his home. “He wept stroking her fur,” he adds.
Shane Lucado, the founder and CEO of InPerSuit, an Alabama-based firm, has a similar story. One of Lucado’s clients broke down in his office after losing his son in a trucking accident, and Lucado’s 90-pound golden retriever happened to be in the office that day.
“The client spent 20 minutes on the f loor with him,” Lucado says. “He is the one small choice that paid off in big ways. Emotional safety is hard to quantify, but Murphy gives us a way to create it without saying a word.”
Murphy joined the law firm in 2022 sans certifications, but today, he’s a true working dog, helping calm clients and attorneys, leading to a 40% drop in stress-related absences since he came aboard, Lucado says.
Ben Deverson, the founder and managing director of Lawganised, a law f irm consultancy in Brisbane, Australia, appreciates the dogs he encounters when visiting law firms. His favorite so far has been Sir Henri, a shar-pei who works for McLaughlin & Associates Lawyers.
Clad in a tie covered in drool, Sir Henri has his own business card deeming him “chief of staff.” When clients arrive at the firm, the receptionist asks that they follow Sir Henri to the meeting room.
“He would lead you into an office and then sit near you near the window until the team member you were meeting with arrived,” Deverson says. “Apparently, Sir Henri would also greet all the firm’s employees one at a time each morning when they arrived at work.”
It’s all very professional. Some dogs, like Duo Dogs’ Hatty, a Labrador retriever facility pup who has worked for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office since 2019, was officially sworn in to do her job. Standing on her hind
“We consider her an employee,” says Stephanie Coelho, a victim witness specialist and primary handler for Hatty. And like all employees, Hatty keeps a semiprivate office in the state’s attorneys office, where she takes breaks to play, eat and sleep. “She has the run of that office,” Coelho says.
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