Channeling Your Physical, Social & Emotional Energy Into a More Ethical Law Practice

Although there is a renewed focus on wellness in the legal profession, most attorneys, like most people, are still largely unaware of the ways their emotional life can impact their professional work. This lack of understanding can translate into issues with client communication and effectiveness at work, and in the worst-case scenarios, lead to professional malpractice and discipline. Roughly 85% of people believe they are highly self-aware, yet studies prove that barely 15% genuinely are. This course will close that gap.

This interactive program, taught by Doug Leonard, a behavioral consultant, executive coach, and former Chair of the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board, will reintroduce you to yourself by exploring the layers of physical, social, and emotional energy behaviors. You will learn to conduct a self-assessment of your personal physical, social, and emotional needs, notice when you are experiencing stress in any area, and identify the specific actions that will help you refill your cup. Self-care is not universal, and by understanding yourself better you will learn what types of practices will increase your resiliency and help you thrive.

Throughout the program, Mr. Leonard will present real-life scenarios that led to attorneys being disciplined, analyze the Model Rules implicated when these attorneys ignored their well-being, and explore practical, actionable techniques that could have helped avoid these ethical lapses. 

This program will benefit attorneys at every level of practice. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Spot the differences between your learned and socialized behaviors and your motivational expectations, and why understanding the distinction is crucial to maintaining wellbeing and an ethical law practice

2. Identify, through rapid self-assessment, your strengths and expectations, and how unmet expectations create the emergence of stress-reactive behaviors that can lead to attorney discipline

3. Use your unique mix of physical, social, and emotional energy to enhance your work and, ultimately, your well-being

4. Realize and avoid potential ethical traps that a lawyer may succumb to when practicing in their stress-reactive behavior

5. Create sound communication strategies to impart your physical, social, and emotional energy needs to key individuals with whom you work, scaling these ethical and effective behaviors throughout your law firm