Compassionate Checklist

Once the decision to represent a client has been made, remaining mindful of opportunities as the relationship–un­folds can lead to real fulfillment on the creative, ethical/moral and human levels. Consider just a few of the junctures at which opportu­nities exist to enhance the interaction for you and for your client.

Nov 24, 2006 12:30 PM CST

Whence the wind?

Pronunciation: ‘dol-drmz.’ etymology: probably akin to Old English. 1. A spell of listlessness or despondency. 2. A part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms, squalls and light, shifting winds. 3. A state or period of inactivity, stagnation or slump.

Sep 24, 2006 8:52 AM CDT

Speaking Volumes

Welcome to part two of a column that asks the question: “What nonlaw book has been most important to you in your life as a lawyer, and why?”

Aug 12, 2006 7:18 PM CDT

Lives Shaped by Books

Rrecently, I e-mailed about 40 lawyers and posed a simple question: “What nonlaw book has been most important to you in your life as a lawyer, and why?” Almost everyone responded, and not without a good deal of insight—into both themselves and the world around us.

Jul 10, 2006 5:38 PM CDT

Two Who Care

I tend to assume that most lawyers truly care about their clients. But I wonder how many make an effort to demonstrate that concern. And when they do, how do they go about it? The two lawyers featured below do it differently, but both make a real difference in their clients’ lives.

Jun 23, 2006 12:49 PM CDT

Leading, The Small Way

Sometimes, amid the complaining and the gnashing of teeth over how depleting law practice can be, it’s tempting to bring up a question that really needs to be asked: Why is so little time invested in trying to make life as a lawyer more personally fulfilling?

May 23, 2006 8:07 AM CDT

Problematic Perfectionism

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err.”

Apr 22, 2006 9:05 AM CDT

Take off the Straitjacket

A couple of years ago I served as a panelist at a New York State Bar Association program on quality of life for lawyers. There must have been 250 people in the packed room.

Mar 21, 2006 10:56 AM CST

What Tears May Tell

Feb 21, 2006 11:38 AM CST

Judge Not

When it comes to other people, most of us fail to consider how often we rush to judgment.

Jan 10, 2006 3:35 PM CST

Creative Passion

You can learn a lot about Nancy Zalusky Berg by stepping into the garage of her Minneapolis home.

Dec 29, 2005 11:47 AM CST

A Helping of Healing

It’s probably safe to say that most people would recoil at the suggestion that they spend time with hardened criminals and the families of their victims. Not Janine Geske. A former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, she opted after five years on the high court bench to pursue her…

Nov 29, 2005 9:06 AM CST

A Legacy of Values

I recently gave a talk to a group of Florida elder lawyers who had trekked across the country to take in the majestic quiet of Yosemite National Park the better to tune in to their own inner urgings and connect with one another.

Oct 29, 2005 10:18 AM CDT

Listen Well

Sep 29, 2005 7:30 AM CDT

Lost in the Law

When I first browsed through How Lawyers Lose Their Way: A Profession Fails its Creative Minds, the new book by law professors Jean Stefancic and Richard Delgado, I came upon a passage that stopped me cold. It concerns the relationship between how lawyers think and how they work:

Aug 29, 2005 5:54 AM CDT