The Best Interest of the Client and the Pursuit of Self-Realization

I spend a significant amount of time studying – myself. 

I’m not supposed to say things like this because taking time for oneself doesn’t necessarily fall on the list of pre-approved extracurricular activities for attorneys. 

But here’s the secret: I’m a better attorney for it. 

My personal practices – meditation and journaling, to name a couple – deepen my capacity for awareness. (Add running sled dogs and entrepreneurship to the list and there is no shortage of opportunities for me to learn more about myself!) Awareness allows me the chance to better understand my own body and mind, which means I can:

• Understand the conditions I need to work best;

• Feel in my body when I’ve done my best work; 

• Know when an organization or person would be better served by an attorney with a different skill set and/or perspective; and 

• Appreciate the work my clients do in the world because that work aligns with my own values.

I didn’t intend to set out on any path towards self-realization. Honestly, I just wanted to stop feeling so bad. But what I’ve learned is that the more I know myself the more I can trust myself. And that deepening sense of trust allows me a fighting chance to move through the world with the degree of integrity I strive towards. So, the time I spend on a yoga mat or in a yard of sled dogs – while seemingly unrelated to the work on my desk – allows me to show up more fully in my legal practice and ultimately, better serve my clients. 

Hanging out in the old dog yard