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90 A.B.A. J. 78 (2004)
A Mindful Law Practice: Lawyers Stay Calm and Focused with the Help of a Meditation Technique

handle is hein.journals/abaj90 and id is 242 raw text is: A MINDFUL LAW PRACTICE Lawyers Stay Calm and Focused With the Help of a Meditation Technique STEVEN KEEVA Y ALL ACCOUNTS, THE MINNEAPOLIS law firm of Leonard, Street and Deinard is, as one partner puts it, pretty darn mainstream. Known for its professionalism and general excellence, one would have to look long and hard for evidence of ec- centricity or any kind of counter- cultural quirkiness. So why, when a partner offered to teach a course in mindfulness meditation last fall, was the response both immediate and enthusiastic? Maybe it's this: Although sitting in silence with a group of colleagues may not be mainstream in today's legal world, the desire to master a skill that promises relief from the profession's en- demic stressors actually is. Seventeen lawyers signed up, and a waiting list formed. And I didn't go around knocking on doors or any- thing, says Robert Zeglo- vitch, the employment liti- gation partner and veteran meditator who taught the class. I just sent out an e- mail. And get this: There was virtually 100 percent attendance for each of the eight weekly sessions, the only exceptions being when work beckoned beyond the Twin Cities. As of late January, the number of people who had taken or expressed interest in the course was about one-third of the attorneys and many of the support staff in the firm's Minneapolis office, which is the headquarters of the 170-lawyer firm. What Zeglovitch taught his colleagues was simple- how to pay attention in a particular way: on purpose, in Steven Keeva is an assistant managing editor for the ABA Journal. His e-mail address is skeeva(Ostaff.abanet.org. ABA JOURNAL .fauR 2004 the present moment and without judgment. It's easy to do. What is not so easy is remembering to do it. That's because we all get involved in our own nonstop thoughts. (Sit quietly with your eyes closed for a minute and count the thoughts that arise; you'll be amazed.) The idea is to calm the inner turmoil so that when you are thinking, you are aware that you're thinking, rather than, say, searching for incoming bombs-Did I re- turn the client's third call? Did I remember to double- check the rent amounts for the extension term in that damn lease? When you are angry, you know you're angry, and when you are driving your car, you know you're driving it, rath- er than finding yourself in your driveway with no recollec- tion of how you got there. Mindfulness practice offers an answer to a question we all should ask ourselves: What would life be like if, mo- ment to moment, I were actually present? It gave me a sense of conscious calmness, a sense of equanimity I'm not aware of otherwise, says Fred Morris, a trial lawyer at Leonard Street who, as a result of Zeglo- vitch's course, has begun his own daily meditation prac- tice. Instead of worrying about yesterday or anticipating what will happen this afternoon, you find your conscious- ness tends to be right where you are. This, lawyers who have practiced mindfulness have found, can bring clarity and mental spaciousness that al- lows for purposeful action, rather than mere reactivity. REINING IN YOUR BRAIN THE FOLLOWING IS FROM my book, Transforming Practices: Finding Joy and Satisfaction in the Legal Life: When Stacey is prac- ticing mindfully and a col- league or opponent flies off the handle, she tries to simply notice the feelings that come up for her with- out responding reflexively. Instead, she waits until she's ready. Oftentimes, she chooses to look more deeply, to consider what might be behind the out- burst. Maybe there's an ill- ness in the person's family, or perhaps someone just told him off. In the past when an interview with a client was get- ting off track, Stacey became self-critical; internal voices told her she really didn't know what she was doing and even questioned her choice of work. Now when that happens, she just watches it happening, often noticing that her stomach is knotting up. ... Suddenly, she be- comes aware that she can choose to work with the client in a different way. She stops, takes a mindful breath, and --EV ON4 L~~,]mqIF AN PRmACTICE -