Keeva's Column #6

Mindfulness Comes to Harvard Law

When I talk to groups of lawyers or law students, I typically spend a fair amount of time on the topic of mindfulness, the ancient practice of paying attention in a special way -- in the moment, moment-to-moment, and non-judgmentally.

People want to know more about it. For some, the proof of its value is that basketball coach Phil Jackson trains his players in mindfulness. The results, both with the Chicago Bulls and the L.A. Lakers, speak for themselves.

Others are impressed by the results achieved at the Center For Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, where Jon Kabat-Zinn and his team have achieved such magnificent outcomes with Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction that hundreds of facilities throughout the country have established similar programs.

But everyone seems moved when I focus on one particular aspect of mindfulness practice: that it speaks to our desire not to miss the moments of our lives as they pass. When I offer that observation silence usually ensues, and I often catch glimpses of expressions that are poignant beyond description.

I bring this up because recently the connection between mindfulness and law practice was made explicit in what would seem to be a rather unlikely forum. In early March, Harvard's Project on Negotiation sponsored a symposium at Harvard Law School: Mindfulness in the Law and ADR. The program was built around a groundbreaking article by Prof. Leonard Riskin, a well-known ADR expert, and brought together a panel of legal academics, practicing lawyers, a former law school dean and yours truly.

The venue, Austin South, was packed with more than 150 local lawyers, Harvard law professors, students and other curious onlookers. Something new was in the air, and the local community turned out in force to learn more about it. Many commented about how amazing they found it that this topic -- one that has so much to do with the inner life, rather than the active side of lawyers' work -- was being explored in a building in which many could recall Professor Kingsfield-like scenes of anxiety and intimidation. Now here they were, being instructed in mindfulness practice, learning about how awareness changes everything and opens up possibilities of thought and action that unconscious reactivity never can. . . . It was a great day, full of promise for the legal profession and for lawyers themselves.

You can view the Harvard symposium in its entirety on the Internet by clicking here.

To view an excerpt of "The Mindful Practice" from Transforming Practices click here.