I am pleased to announce the publication of “Contemplative practice in the law school: Breaking barriers to learning and resilience” and my co-authored chapter with Professor Vines: Contemplative practice in the law school: breaking barriers to learning and resilience:
The Abstract
In this chapter we argue that the increasing use of contemplative practices in law schools is significant not just in relation to enhancing resilience and diminishing stress and depression, but that they also have major benefits in the development of traditional legal roles. However, there is an attitudinal barrier that needs to be overcome as law students and legal academics have commonly been resistant to the use of these practices. It is interesting and somewhat ironic, therefore, that just as we are developing some level of openness to practices that seem alien in legal study and practice we also find evidence that they indeed enhance capacities for legal and educational practice such as level of focus, ability to prioritize, the optimization of objectivity, higher order thinking and so on. Further, the management of ethical issues of professional practice, which are frequently triggers for depression, may also be improved by contemplative practices as they enhance students’ and lawyers’ ability to articulate their personal and professional ethics. In turn, this knowledge can be used to help break down remaining barriers to the use of contemplative practices within the legal academy. To reiterate, until recently the supposition was that the remedial benefits of contemplative practices ameliorated negative aspects of legal education and practice. However, now it appears that the enhancement may also be linked to a direct correspondence between contemplation and the law.
For more information please see: For more information please see: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=jzz7CwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=Patricia%20Morgan&f=false
The Abstract
In this chapter we argue that the increasing use of contemplative practices in law schools is significant not just in relation to enhancing resilience and diminishing stress and depression, but that they also have major benefits in the development of traditional legal roles. However, there is an attitudinal barrier that needs to be overcome as law students and legal academics have commonly been resistant to the use of these practices. It is interesting and somewhat ironic, therefore, that just as we are developing some level of openness to practices that seem alien in legal study and practice we also find evidence that they indeed enhance capacities for legal and educational practice such as level of focus, ability to prioritize, the optimization of objectivity, higher order thinking and so on. Further, the management of ethical issues of professional practice, which are frequently triggers for depression, may also be improved by contemplative practices as they enhance students’ and lawyers’ ability to articulate their personal and professional ethics. In turn, this knowledge can be used to help break down remaining barriers to the use of contemplative practices within the legal academy. To reiterate, until recently the supposition was that the remedial benefits of contemplative practices ameliorated negative aspects of legal education and practice. However, now it appears that the enhancement may also be linked to a direct correspondence between contemplation and the law.
For more information please see: For more information please see: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=jzz7CwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=Patricia%20Morgan&f=false
