WELCOMEAround 12:15 pm, we will begin a short

seated mindfulness practice. To get ready, think about:

Sitting near the front edge of your chair.

Placing both feet flat on the ground.

Resting your hands comfortably palms down on top of your thighs.

What is Mindfulness?

“Paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

“Deliberately paying attention, being fully aware of what is happening both inside yourself—in your body, heart, and mind—and outside yourself in your environment. Mindfulness is awareness without judgment or criticism.” Jan Chozen Bays

Examples of Mindfulness Practices

What Can Mindfulness Do?

Decreases stress.

Helps modulate pain.

Improves concentration.

Decreases reactivity.

Improves resiliency.

Helps mitigate trauma responses.

Increases empathy.

Increases happiness.

Improves some test-taking performance.

Some Examples of Mindfulness and Lawyering

Mindfulness programs held for trial court judges.

Large law firms offering MBSR programs to their lawyers.

A wide range of bar associations offering mindfulness programs to their members.

Mindful lawyering groups across the country.

Retreat centers offering lawyer-specific retreats.

Lawyer-focused career coaches who base their work on mindfulness practices.

How Are Law Teachers Building Mindfulness Into Their Courses?

Offering stand alone opportunities for

mindfulness practices.

Starting class with a short period of seated

mindfulness.

Incorporating mindful self-reflection into class

assignments.

Using mindfulness as one of the normative

principles that underlies the class.

Some Resources:

Center for Contemplative Mind in Society and

its Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher

Education

American Mindfulness Research Association

Mindfulness Affinity Group, AALS Section on

Balance in Legal Education

Common Cogitations About Mindfulness

Is mindfulness secular enough?

Why mindfulness instead of other

activities that lead to similar outcomes?

Must mindfulness be situated within some

kind of ethical or normative framework?

Shouldn’t law teachers focus on teaching

the law?