The Mindful Lawyer
May 2011

In This Issue
Upcoming Mindfulness Programs for Lawyers
Recent Mindfulness Events for Lawyers
The Mindfulness Memo
The Brain Brief
Mindfulness training may be helpful for improving memory and emotional regulation, according to a study conducted on solders readying to deploy to Iraq. Click here to learn more about this study, conducted by cognitive neuroscientist, Amishi Jha, and her colleagues.
Lawyer Spotlight
This month's lawyer spotlight shines on Charlie Halpern, one of mindfulness in law's most respected leaders.  Much of the vibrant activity taking place across the country today -- in law firms, the judiciary, and law schools -- is the product of seeds he has been watering for many years.   Click here to learn more about his important work.
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Volume 4
May 2011
Welcome to the May 2011 edition of The Mindful Lawyer, a newsletter devoted to the integration of mindfulness, neuroscience, and the practice of law.
Upcoming Mindfulness Programs for Lawyers
Tools of Mindful Awareness for Lawyers, Mediators, Negotiators, Judges, Arbitrators and Managers
June 23-25, 2011.  This exceptional program is led by Leonard Riskin, Chesterfield Smith Professor Law at the University of Florida, and Rachel Wohl, Director of the Maryland Supreme Court Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office. It is held in Malibu at Pepperdine University School of Law. Click here for more information.

"The Science Behind Lie to Me" Program to Enhance Litigation and Negotiation Skills 
May 17 and 24, 2011.  Professor of Law, Clark Freshman, shares with lawyers in two upcoming workshops (Los Angeles on May 17;  San Francisco on May 24) Paul Ekman's program for recognizing lies.  Professor Freshman is a longtime mindfulness practitioner. 

Click here to learn more.  


CLE: Mindfulness 101: Taking Charge of Your Life. 
May 18-22, 2011.  Grove Burnett, a superb attorney and wonderful meditation teacher is conducting this mindfulness retreat for lawyers, judges, and law students at the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch in Taos, New Mexico.   Click here to learn more.

Rocky Mountain Retreat:  "Integration of the Conflict Practitioner:  Zen and the Sustainable Mediator"
July 29-31, 2011.  The Association for Conflict Resolution's Spirituality Section will be convening its 6th Annual Rocky Mountain retreat at the St. Malo Retreat Center in Allenspark Colorado.  Click here for more information.
Recent Mindfulness Events for Lawyers
Mindfulness and Civility -- A Judge's Call
March 9, 2011. Judge Alan S. Gold of the Southern District of Florida spoke at a Federal Bar Association luncheon in Miami, Florida, on Mindfulness and Civility.  Judge Gold introduced lawyers and judges to mindfulness and invited them to explore ways of introducing the bench and bar to mindfulness practices as a way of enhancing civility and with it stress reduction.

"The Mindful Lawyer" Conference at U.C. Berkeley
October 29-31, 2011.  If you missed last year's The Mindful Lawyer
conference,
click here to view video segments and listen to audio recordings of the terrific panels and speakers.
The Mindfulness Memo          
Justice Breyer and Noticing the "I" Scream

scott rogers

 

"For 10 or 15 minutes twice a day I sit peacefully.

I relax and think about nothing  

or as little as possible." 

 

 

You may be surprised to learn that those are the words of United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.  In Seeking Serenity: When Lawyers Go Zen, Amanda Enayati reports the above from a recent conversation she had with Justice Breyer.

 

The philosopher Pascal would be pleased with the Justice as he once suggested that all of our problems are caused by our "inability to sit quietly in a room by ourselves."  I don't believe that Pascal was saying that we must sit quietly in a room by ourselves.  I think he was commenting that there is something telling in our having difficulty doing so. 

 

Sitting Quietly in a Room by Yourself

Have you tried sitting quietly in a room by yourself. If not, give it a try. A common reaction is that within a few minutes boredom sets in and one gets up to do something "more interesting."

 

But in getting up, we miss all the action.  We miss things like the thought that "this is boring," the conclusion that "nothing is happening," or the urge "to get up and do something else."  We react so quickly, that before we know it, either we're off doing something else or lost in distraction. 

 

In the absence of awareness that we are having these thoughts, feelings, and sensations, we have little choice but to follow orders.  But by cultivating awareness that thoughts, like "this is boring," are arising, we gain mastery over the moments of our lives.  This is where a mindfulness practice is helpful and its basic instruction is fundamental.

 

Mindfulness Instruction  

A basic mindfulness instruction is to continually return awareness to the object of attention.  For many it is the breath.  For Justice Breyer, it may be the mindfulness practice known as "choiceless awareness." 

 

The CNN article concludes with a short video clip where Dr. Charles Raison, of Emory University Medical School, discusses a five-minute daily meditation that you can do at your desk. You may find this instruction helpful if you are interested in beginning a sitting practice.

 

Breyer's Ice Cream 

If you're wondering about the Breyer - "I" Scream link contained in the title of this month's Mindfulness Memo, reflect on Pascal's observation and consider the possibility that when you choose to sit for five to ten minutes, and begin to get antsy, there is part of you screaming "anything but this!" It is as if deep down you are uncomfortable allowing the moment to be as it just is. 

 

That part of you might be regarded as the ego, or the "I."  If you pay really close attention to what is arising within, you may just hear your  "I" scream that it must do something else. So often we soothe this inner discomfort with pleasant experiences like . . . well, ice cream.  But perhaps a sweeter experience may be found in sitting peacefully, relaxing, and thinking about nothing, or as little as possible.

 

Wishing you the best in law and life,

Scott L. Rogers. M.S., J.D.
Director, Institute for Mindfulness Studies
Director,
Mindfulness in Law Program, UM School of Law

You can learn more about Scott Rogers by visiting scottrogers.com 
If you'd like to learn more about The Mindful Lawyer or the Institute for Mindfulness Studies visit us at www.themindfullawyer.com.

The Jurisight program was developed by the Institute for Mindfulness Studies.  Learn more about Jurisight by visiting Jurisight.com.

"The Mindful Lawyer," "Jurisight," "Brain Brief" and "Mindfulness Memo" are trademarks of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies. Copyright 2003-2011.  Institute for Mindfulness Studies.  All Rights Reserved.
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