Welcome to our fifth episode of season 3 of Legal Well-Being in Action. Today’s episode, Getting Down to the Heart of the Matter! is another installment of this year’s theme Well-Being: A Deeper Dive. For this episode Bill Slease speaks with Elizabeth Lynch Phillips a lawyer and certified professional coach who works with lawyers to find greater meaning and satisfaction in their lives, and Paul Abrams, a New Mexico trial lawyer and the author of Trial Law as Karma Yoga. Elizabeth practiced law in the DC area for 20 years before changing careers and becoming an Executive Coach. Paul has been engaged in mediation and other daily spiritual practices since 1972. Elizabeth and Paul talk about a holistic approach to the practice of law with an emphasis on focusing within, being present in the moment, and drawing on our true selves in everything we do. They talk about letting go of the notion that we can control every situation and outcome, and explore the idea that practicing law is just one of many possible means to a deeper end. Ultimately they encourage us all to strive for a deeper awareness of our true selves, to find alignment with our head, heart, and gut, and to engage life on a daily basis in a richer, more meaningful and purposeful way.
Episode Bios:
PAUL ABRAMS, ESQ received his undergraduate degree in political science from Temple University; and in 1970, his law degree from Harvard Law Scholl, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (Government) from Harvard’s Kennedy Scholl of Government while studying at the law school. His first career was in government and politics, including five years as Chief of Staff for the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and 2 ½ years working for the Governor of Pennsylvania as the first Administrator of Pennsylvania’s new medical malpractice arbitration program. He resigned in 1978, found his way to Santa Fe New Mexico, and helped run an independent book publisher, John Muir Publications, until he was “talked into” practicing law by attorney friends, beginning in 1983. He is a Plaintiffs Trial Lawyer in Santa Fe and a member of the Board of Governors of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association. He is Treasurer of New Mexico Legal Aid. Beginning in 1984, he has been a board member and officer of the two northern New Mexico predecessor legal services organizations of the state-wide civil legal services organization serving poor New Mexicans.
ELIZABETH LYNCH PHILLIPS, ESQ, PCC, CPCC is certified as a Professional Coach by the Coaches Training Institute and the International Coach Federation. She works primarily with stressed attorneys who feel like the practice of law isn’t all it was cracked up to be, and isn’t giving them the satisfaction they’d hoped for. She is grateful to be a part of the growing, national focus on attorney well-being, and she is committed to bringing more compassion and humanity to the practice of law. She moved to New Mexico 10 years ago with her husband and 3 kids, to get away from the traffic and crowding of the DC area. She is currently a member of the State Bar of New Mexico and the Virginia State Bar where she practiced for 20 years.
Disclaimer:
Thank you for listening! This episode was produced by the State Bar of New Mexico’s Well-Being Committee and the New Mexico Lawyer 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.