Articles
If you know a lawyer who is feeling less than enthused about his or her choice of profession, there’s a new book you should know about. The Reflective Counselor: Daily Meditations for Lawyers contains a meditation-a-day. Its purpose is to help lawyers who may be feeling overwhelmed or disenchanted find the spiritual grounding that may be eluding them.
The field of law is notorious for causing burn-out and disillusionment, with lawyers ultimately finding a loss of meaning and purpose in their lives. There are currently over a million lawyers in the U.S., and many attorneys express professional discontent and are seeking solutions. (According to a New York Times article (1/6/08), 44% of lawyers surveyed by the ABA said they would not recommend the profession to a young person.)
The Reflective Counselor: Daily Meditations for Lawyers is designed to help lawyers recover from spiritual bankruptcy. Each daily entry includes an introductory quotation, followed by a refection inspired by that quotation. Themes found in the book include overcoming fear, exploring personal beliefs and values, maintaining integrity, personally defining success, dealing with difficult people, and common workplace challenges.
This is the only book of its kind written just for lawyers. Readers of this important book can reverse the burnout trend, and discover how easy it is to put energy and enthusiasm back into their career with this once-a-day meditation strategy. Lawyers might also appreciate the book as a gift as well.
The authors are uniquely qualified to provide on-target guidance for the legal professional.
F. Gregory Coffey is a clinical psychologist with more than twenty-five years’ experience in therapeutic practice, including acting as a life coach for many attorneys. Maureen C. Kessler spent 30 years as a practicing securities attorney in New York City, later becoming an ordained minister.
The book has been more than enthusiastically received by lawyers, psychologists and spiritual advisors alike:
“This is a remarkable book. The authors are to be commended on putting together this splendid contribution to legal education and the legal profession.” –Bob MacCrate, Past President of the American Bar Association and Senior Drafter of the MacCrate Report
“Every lawyer could use an opportunity to pause and reflect. The Reflective Counselor provides brilliant insights on a range of issues faced by those trying to balance heavy work commitments with complicated lives.” –Theodore O. Rogers, Jr., Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
“The Reflective Counselor is by far one of the most uplifting and heartfelt books of its kind that I have seen. The uniquely qualified authors achieve a real empathic understanding and have put forth a valuable and very welcome guide for soul-searching lawyers, eager to find meaning and purpose beyond the daily grind. This book is to be highly recommended.” –James B. Snyder, M.D., Board Certified Psychiatrist and Director and Founder, Long Island Psychiatric
“There’s no quick fix. Show up, wait, watch and work: ‘You don’t give up,’ says Anne Lamott. Routine, rigor and unrelenting demands mark the landscape of every lawyer’s life. These meditations offer space, time and rearranged moments. Not shallow piety but layered insights that awaken and re-charge.” –Janet R. Walton, Professor of Worship, Union Theological Seminary
“This book is filled with wonderful quotations and wise commentaries, one for each day. Designed as ‘daily meditations,’ each provides a thoughtful way to begin a lawyer’s often complex and challenging day. I can think of no lawyer, whether patient or friend, that I would not be happy to present with this excellent book.” –Don-David Lusterman, Ph.D., Author of Infidelity: A Survival Guide.
RESOURCES
Coffey, Gregory F. and Kessler, Maureen C., The Reflective Counselor: Daily Meditations for Lawyers, ABA Publishing, 2008.
