From the Introduction

The way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives.

- Annie Dillard

Sadly, the inner life is often left underdeveloped in people who live hurriedly, under the weight of constant deadlines and pressures. This lack of development is particularly unfortunate among lawyers because so many can recall--often with a twinge of sadness for that which has not come to pass--the spiritual impulses that brought them to the law in the first place.

Spiritual impulses? Here's what I mean: To the extent that you enter it as a calling, the practice of law is about hunger--the hunger for resolution; for healing the lives of individuals, organizations, and communities; for enabling society to function harmoniously and productively; and ultimately, for justice. Spirituality may not always be easy to define, but the concept is certainly embodied in these yearnings, as it is in any quest to deepen your understanding of what it means to live a good and meaningful life. When lawyers express in words and actions that they feel caught between a professional role and who they really are, they are describing a personal spiritual crisis. . .. .

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To a lawyer, a law student, or someone considering applying to law school, the cultivation of a deeper and more vibrant inner life can promise a great deal, all of it compelling, much of it eminently practical. It can bring meaning and excitement to your practice; it can help you relate better with clients, and allow you to handle the pressures and vicissitudes of law practice with equanimity; it can make you a better, clearer, more focused and balanced lawyer, and in so doing enhance your value and relevance to the legal profession. Finally, attention to the spiritual, or inner, dimension can help you deepen or reclaim a sense of purpose in your work and make clearer how the path you're on--the legal path--can enhance and deepen your experience of life.

This book examines the spiritual crisis in the legal profession and shows how lawyers are taking the first tentative steps to address it. It examines seven kinds of spiritually oriented law practices in chapters that highlight approaches, techniques, and mind-sets that can be truly transforming, in the sense of fundamentally changing the experience of practicing law. I hope that its contents will help you achieve balance in your life; become more aware of the options that each moment offers, even in the midst of pressures and demands; realize the extraordinary opportunities the profession provides for personal growth; and find a satisfying vision for your future in the law