How do you read your news? What publications do you read?
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What is your media diet?
Last week at Above the Law, New York City litigator Matthew W. Schmidt suggested that lawyers take stock of how they stretch their minds in their free time. Constant learning can compound your “crystallized intelligence” as you rely on your accumulated knowledge to make connections and solve problems–“in other words, how you get smarter from learning things.”
Lawyers are constantly learning from their caseload, “but if you just read legal briefs all day then go home and drink yourself to sleep while watching Survivor, you’re not getting a sufficiently well-balanced diet to help you build those mental connections.”
Schmidt says he reads select newsletters, and saves newspaper or blog articles for future reading on Instapaper or Pocket.
This week, we’d like to ask you: How do you read your news? What publications do you read (besides, at least right this moment, ABAJournal.com)? Do you save select articles that appear in your social media feeds? Read subscriptions to particular newsletters, newspapers and magazines?
Do you feel your reading helps make you a better lawyer? Answer in the comments.
Read the answers to last week’s question: How do you deal with difficult clients?
Posted by RDC: “I agree the best advice is not to take difficult clients in the first place. In family law, however, even reasonable people can (at least temporarily) become difficult clients. I’ve found that active listening and acknowledging their feelings and perceptions goes a long way to helping them move past the emotional challenges of the process.”
Do you have an idea for a question of the week? If so, contact us.
