law students

To aspire to the unattainable, and imagine the impossible, in a sense we're making a deal with ourselves.

 We're agreeing that no matter how dedicated we are to cultivating wholesome qualities of mind and heart, no matter how committed we are to saving the world, or at least our own small corner of the world, in our lifetime we will not succeed.

 And yet we still do it.

We still dedicate ourselves to being generous, ethical, and patient. We still muster as much joy as we can in the endeavor. We still sit, day in and day out, attaining whatever wisdom might arise.

 We know we will not succeed. We know we cannot succeed.

And yet.

Speakers:
Annette DeBois graduated from the UNM School of Law in 1982, and immediately joined a small private firm, Paskind Lynch and Dow, where she stayed for 18 years.  She then became the staff attorney for the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee and worked in the federal system for 11 years.  Her last five years of practice were as an Administrative Hearing Officer for the NM Taxation and Revenue Department.  After retiring in 2013, Annette discovered the joys of free time, and takes advantage of that by travelling, volunteer work, and enjoying the beautiful NM outdoors

Jocelyn M. Torres, Attorney at Law: Jocelyn is from New Mexico and has been a licensed attorney, litigator, and mediator in this state for forty years. She is also a proficient writer and has conducted extensive legal and mediation training for the ABA, State Bar, and several other organizations. Jocelyn obtained her BA cum laude in Psychology, MA with distinction in Public Administration/Energy Management and Juris Doctorate Degrees from UNM. Jocelyn cofounded the NM Children’s Court Mediation Team in March 2000. She authored/sponsored the NM Safe Haven Act of 2001 and coauthored/cosponsored the NM Mediation Procedures Act of 2007. She retired as a Children’s Court Attorney in June 2017. Jocelyn has chaired the State Bar’s ADR Committee, is chair-elect of the Senior Lawyers Division, and is on the board of the Public Law Section and is a member of the Well-Being Committee. Since retirement, she has also worked with the state Judiciary, Legislature, and the City of Albuquerque.

Peter Chestnut, Attorney and Counselor at Law: Peter moved to New Mexico after college and became a licensed lawyer over forty-five years ago.  Beginning as a sole practitioner, his practice emphasized Indian Affairs and Water Rights. He served as legal counsel for some Pueblo governments and organizations for decades. He sees lawyers as working to help weave the fabric of society.  His practice accomplishments include work to re-acquire of some Pueblo ancestral lands, negotiate tribal-state gaming compacts, establish laws, negotiate a Pueblo water rights settlement with multiple governments and many other parties, and support Pueblo oversight of federal nuclear waste disposal and monitoring at Los Alamos. His firm has included numerous Pueblo member lawyers for many years, part of his interest in expanding understanding and respect for Pueblo perspective in our larger society. Peter served on both the State Bar Indian Law Section and Senior Lawyers Division boards, and as past Chair.He received the 2021 Attorney Achievement Award from the Indian Law Section. Peter has made numerous CLE presentations on Indian Law and Pueblo water rights, most recently at a regional panel discussing a Pueblo water rights settlement approved by Congress. He earned his B.A. cum laude from Harvard College, and his Juris Doctorate from UNM School of Law.

Thank you for listening! This episode was produced by the State Bar of New Mexico’s Well-Being Committee and the New Mexico Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. All editing and sound mixing was done by BlueSky eLearn. Intro music is by Gil Flores. The views of the presenters are that of their own and are not endorsed by the State Bar of New Mexico. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Imagination.

It's not the first world that comes to mind when I think of the law. But what if it were?

What if we could reimagine ourselves and in doing that, reimagine the law?

And what if, in reimagining the law, we could reimagine our world?

 Maybe our failure to solve the intractable, systemic issues of our times is less about political will and more about a failure of imagination. If it is, what happens when we shift our perspective, aspire to the unattainable, imagine the impossible?

And how do we even do that?

I've told this story so often, about how, after I'd stopped practicing law for quite a while, my partner, seeing how frantically I was working, said, "Really? I didn't know you'd given it up."

I was one of those lawyers who worked all the time, at all hours, squeezing stuff in late at night, early in the morning, on weekends. And I still do it, teaching mindfulness. Old habits die hard.

So I'm exploring turning over a new leaf.

I've decided to consider - just consider - the practice of letting go. Of course letting go is one of the main tenets of mindfulness and I've talked about it a lot. But have I done it? I realized recently, not so much.

Today let's talk a little about letting go, then practice it.

Also, this is Wake Up Call 350. !! It's hard to believe, but that's where we are. And it feels like a good time to take a short break. I'm headed to the UK on Monday, so today will be the last live Wake Up Call until June 16th. I'll miss you! And, I'll see you in just over a month.

Is it my imagination or is there a general sense in the law that if we're kind, to ourselves or anyone else, we'll be perceived as weak? Or not just perceived, but that we'll actually be weak?

In terms of how we treat ourselves, I hear it from my students in the form of, "I had to be hard on myself to get as far as I have." I hear it from my colleagues, too - the supposed power of anger turned inwards.

And I'm all too familiar with it personally, but I'm not longer convinced it's such a good idea.

I guess I'm wondering what would happen if we re-envisioned the way we relate to ourselves: less task-mastering, and a whole lot more kindness. Does just reading that seem Pollyannaish Or does it come as a relief, even if you're not quite willing to say?

Speakers:
Bonnie Stepleton, Director of Student and Career Services at the UNM School of Law and a member of the NM Well-Being Committee.

Christina Bustamante, first-year law student at UNM School of Law, 1L representative of the Student Bar Association's Well-Being Committee, and the law school representative to the NM Well-Being Committee.

Mark Blosser, second-year law student at the University of New Mexico and member of the Student Bar Association's Well-Being Committee.

Thank you for listening! This episode was produced by the State Bar of New Mexico’s Well-Being Committee and the New Mexico Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. All editing and sound mixing was done by BlueSky eLearn. Intro music is by Gil Flores. The views of the presenters are that of their own and are not endorsed by the State Bar of New Mexico. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

This episode reflects on an earlier episode called, The Duty to Do Better: The Law Student Version. Law professors and instructors offer their perspectives on teaching in a trauma-informed way, lawyer and law student mental health, and modern legal education in Canada and the USA. This conversation includes Claudia Pena (UCLA), Anna Lund (UofA), Sarah Katz (Temple Uni), Andrew Pilliar (TRU), Zara Suleman (UVic), Brittany Goud (UVic), and Jeffrey Meyers (TRU). 

Briggs Cheney, Esq., Dixon•Scholl•Carrillo•P.A., and the Co-Chair to the NMJLAP Committee.

Ernestina R. Cruz, Esq., founder of Cruz Law Office, LLC located in Taos and Santa Fe, Past President of the State Bar of New Mexico (2020) and Past Member of the SBNM Well-Being Committee (2020-2021)

James Wilkes, Esq., Shareholder, and Director, Dixon•Scholl•Carrillo•P.A.

Thank you for listening! This episode was produced by the State Bar of New Mexico’s Well-Being Committee and the New Mexico Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. All editing and sound mixing was done by BlueSky eLearn. Intro music is by Gil Flores. The views of the presenters are that of their own and are not endorsed by the State Bar of New Mexico. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

The legal landscape in Australia has undoubtedly evolved procedurally in the past 2 years. Today’s guest speaker is none other than Erica Taylor, the Director of Special Projects at JADE and the Victorian Reports. This episode explores:

• What her role as "Director of Special Projects" entails
• The changing operational nature of the Australian courts in the age of COVID-19
• The most ground-breaking, bold, and transformative cases of 2021
• What we can expect from the High Court of Australia in 2022

To submit a question, share an opinion or express interest in featuring on The Lawfluent Podcast, visit: www.openlaw.org.au or email stafidas@openlaw.com.au. Be sure to leave us a review!

Instagram and Facebook: @thelawfluentpodcast
LinkedIn: @openlaw

What's your most audacious intention for 2022? Think big. Think even bigger.

Zen students chant, "Beings are numberless. I vow to save them all." What's your chant?

What if your chant - your intention - is to end greed, hatred, and delusion? What if your intention is to save our beautiful planet? What if it's both? What if it's bigger than both?

Let's see how big it is. Let's see where this goes.

This time of year - the end of the calendar year - always feels quiet, and sacred, to me. Maybe the holidays, maybe being with family, and this year, like the last two, also feels sacred and precious because things are once again, precarious.

Last week I was wondering about all of that in terms of inter-connection. This week I'm wondering about it in terms of connection to self. 

Is it possible to tap into our own inner connection? Is it possible to get a little more connected not only to each other, but also to ourselves? As we do this with one another, seeing each other as beloved, can we also see ourselves the same way?

As we inch towards the end of 2021 without any idea what's next, in terms of the pandemic, the climate, or the political situation, I've been thinking about the importance of our practice.

It feels like there's a big part about wellbeing - that's crucial. And, there's a lot more.

Because we have the potential, as practitioners, to set an example, and even share directly, with those we work with, and with everyone we love, how to stay compassionate and open-hearted right in the middle of...everything.

This Wake Up Call and the next two explore that question, which will take us to the end of this fraught, and strange, and challenging 2021 year.

There are so many times I've said something tinged with meanness, hostility, even violence. It's hard for me to write those words, but I know they're true.

Do you see that in yourself?

If you do, let's talk about how to say things differently, without judging or retaliating against ourselves. If you don't, maybe listen anyway.

Tom Kayes is a graduate of Pomona College (2007) and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (2013). He is a solo practitioner and owner of the Law Office of Thomas R. Kayes where he practices civil rights litigation. Check out Tom's firm here: https://www.kayes.law

Follow Tom on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/kayes_tom?s=20 

And on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kayes-7644557/ 

Tom recommends the following book: Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! by Greg Crabtree. Check it out here: https://simplenumbers.me/the-books/

Find us online at https://www.personaljxpod.com

Find us on LinkedIn on our new page and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter

Find us on Twitter @PersonalJxPod

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Presented By:

Pamela Moore, MA, LPCC, the Program Director of the State Bar of New Mexico’s Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (NMJLAP), and a member of the NM Well-Being Committee. Briggs Cheney, Esq., Dixon•Scholl•Carrillo•P.A., Co-Chair to the NMJLAP Committee.

Thank you for listening! This episode was produced by the State Bar of New Mexico’s Well-Being Committee and the New Mexico Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. All editing and sound mixing was done by BlueSky eLearn. Intro music is by Gil Flores. The views of the presenters are that of their own and are not endorsed by the State Bar of New Mexico. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Last week the Fool, this week the Sage. What is the Sage, or maybe, Who is the Sage? And can we make it easier for ourselves to listen to them? And what are we listening for? No answers but hopefully some good questions, on today's podcast.

The Fool is an ancient symbol. Some people say it's the image of innocence and openness. Others say it's the image of delirium. From a mindfulness perspective, when we get caught up in wealth and pride, we're all delirious Fools, ignorant rather than innocent. When we remember our last pair of pants have no pockets, we're free. Check out whether or not that's true, on today's podcast.

Should  lawyers try to master the world? Yes! Or, in a way.

But not in a "Tom Wolfe, Bonfire of the Vanities," Master of the Universe, kind of way. In a way that's about becoming aware of the perfectly ordinary, grasping, anxious, need-to-be-right, mind.

And then in a way that's about cultivating counterweights like generosity, kindness, patience, and compassion. 

As we do that, maybe we will master the world, in a positive way. Maybe we will become true servant leaders, using our enormous influence to be abundantly kind, generous, and patient. True servant leaders, listening for and responding to the cries of our clients, our colleagues, our friends, our families, and the world.

Explore, on today's podcast.

Yesterday I spent the morning in a virtual probate courtroom. What an interesting experience. In thirty years of practicing law in person, I don't think I ever saw the nooks & crannies of people's courtroom faces as clearly as I did yesterday.

It was interesting that immediately, I started to judge. Do you do that? I decided which lawyers were comfortable and which ones weren't prepared. I determined who was smart and who wasn't. I even judged a whole bunch of things about the judge.

Mindfulness is an invitation to see what we see, but not decide, determine, or judge. The question that comes up for me is, is this useful in the courtroom, or not? I checked that out on today's podcast. Enjoy. 

Presented By: Denise Torres, Law Firm of Denise Torres, LLC, chair of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC), and a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Caitlin Dillon, prosecutor in the Special Prosecutions Division for the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, and member of the NM Well-Being Committee.

Thank you for listening! This episode was produced by the State Bar of New Mexico’s Well-Being Committee and the New Mexico Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. All editing and sound mixing was done by BlueSky eLearn. Intro music is by Gil Flores. The views of the presenters are that of their own and are not endorsed by the State Bar of New Mexico. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.