The Contemplative Lawyer: On the Potential Contributions of Mindfulness Meditation to Law Students, Lawyers, and Their Clients

Harvard Negotiation Law Review, Vol. 7, pp. 1-66, 2002

67 Pages Posted: 1 Sep 2009 Last revised: 22 Sep 2015

Date Written: August 31, 2009

Abstract

This Article proposes that introducing mindfulness meditation into the legal profession may improve practitioners' well-being and performance and weaken the dominance of adversarial mind-sets. By enabling some lawyers to make more room for - and act from - broader and deeper perspectives, mindfulness can help lawyers provide more appropriate service (especially through better listening and negotiation) and gain more personal satisfaction from their work.

Keywords: mindfulness, law practice, legal education, negotiation, active listening, dispute resolution, ADR, mediation, meditation

Suggested Citation

Riskin, Leonard L., The Contemplative Lawyer: On the Potential Contributions of Mindfulness Meditation to Law Students, Lawyers, and Their Clients (August 31, 2009). Harvard Negotiation Law Review, Vol. 7, pp. 1-66, 2002, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1465248

Leonard L. Riskin (Contact Author)

University of Florida Levin College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 117625
Gainesville, FL 32611-7625
United States

Northwestern University - Pritzker School of Law ( email )

375 E. Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
United States

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