My grandfather used to say, “Life is a movie, and we’re all just actors in that story.” And just as all good stories have heroes, understanding who they are and what they want can help lawyers learn to become what I call a “Rainstar.” A Rainstar is a lawyer with a tremendous ability to generate significant revenue for their firm while excelling at client satisfaction and retention.
Whether you are a law student, a litigator or a premier athlete such as Osaka or Biles, if you feel unsafe in that environment, no amount of badgering or cajoling or “just do it” or “fake it till you make it” mentality is going to work. What does work?
Can we lawyers step into the eudaimonic turn? What if, instead of thoroughly exhausting ourselves unearthing or stirring up problems around every corner, we also invested (and replenished) energy in fostering good?
A hive switch is a phenomenon that occurs when individuals realize they have become part of and fused within a collective; they transcend self-interest and invest in something larger than themselves.
What are some lessons of this COVID-19 experience for the legal profession? What are some truths that are coming to light? Four initial lessons come to mind for lawyer and author Heidi K. Brown.
We lament a decline in civility. We reaccentuate standards of professionalism. But when do we teach junior attorneys how to mentally and physically recalibrate in a bullying moment, and if, when and how to substantively respond to the offender?
Psychological safety in the legal profession means cultivating and being an ambassador for a work environment in which asking questions, testing novel ideas and theories, taking intellectual risks and openly discussing prevention and handling of mistake-making is encouraged and welcomed.
U.S. Supreme Court justices use courtroom humor as a tool of advocacy and as a signal of their power and status, according to a new study of oral arguments…
Ignoring our negative mental soundtrack and automatic physical responses to stress doesn’t help us learn how to manage those tangible foes in a constructive way. I trudged forward pretending I knew what I was doing. I didn’t.
When did it become so cool to be so unkind? Can our profession (and society in general) detoxify and reboot its soul? How should citizens or members of healthy and nontoxic households converse with one another?
Oct 1, 2018 1:30 AM CDT
Heidi Brown: “Opposing counsel lobbed snark, sarcasm and ad hominem attacks at us, and we volleyed back in kind. I thought that was the way litigators were supposed to talk to each other.” Photo by Krista Bonura.
" />
Introverts bring clients their skills in active listening, deep methodical thinking, creative problem-solving and empathy. How can employers assess job candidates for these quiet strengths?
To effect change, we can set an example through precision in our own word choices. When in doubt about the proper pronoun or title, choose the correct and inclusive one or respectfully ask.
Apr 1, 2018 2:10 AM CDT
Heidi Brown: “Recently … I realized there is an evolving grammatical modernization to which
I must adjust.” Photograph by Krista Bonura.
" />
As legal educators and practice leaders, we need to do a better job of talking about the reality of fear in lawyering and how to transform it into powerful advocacy.
The ABA Journal wants to host and facilitate conversations among lawyers about their profession. We are now accepting thoughtful, non-promotional articles and commentary by unpaid contributors.
Heidi Brown: “Opposing counsel lobbed snark, sarcasm and ad hominem attacks at us, and we volleyed back in kind. I thought that was the way litigators were supposed to talk to each other.” Photo by Krista Bonura.
" />
Heidi Brown: “Recently … I realized there is an evolving grammatical modernization to which
I must adjust.” Photograph by Krista Bonura.
" />
