Integrating spirituality and law--Letter to the Editor, NC Lawyers Weekly

Published March 2, 2009.

Integrating Spirituality and the Practice of Law

Dear Lawyers Weekly,

I was most pleased to see the examination of integrating spirituality into the practice of law in the recent Christian Lawyering series. As the Vice President of the International Alliance of Holistic Lawyers (IAHL), I am part of a world-wide movement that seeks bring more meaning and satisfaction into the practice of law, which for many members is gained through integrating their spirituality and legal practice. For instance, holistic lawyers may counsel their clients to view the legal situation as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth, perhaps involving forgiveness of a wrong, or making an honest apology. Attorneys give a little bit of their own hearts and selves, listening to the client empathetically, providing an opportunity for real human understanding and thus healing. Some lawyers use a ‘holistic’ approach to meet the client’s other needs, not just the legal problem presented.

Realms of spirituality are not new to the practice of law, contrary to what we were taught in law school (remember the admonition to separate the personal from the professional, lest we lose our objectivity?). We have always been ‘counselors at law,’ which involves serving the client’s whole person. We reach the highest objectives of the profession when we render service, an overarching spiritual principle. As Pro Bono Coordinator for Pisgah Legal Services in Asheville, I have discovered the connection between service and the well-being of the profession. Those that serve are the happiest, healthiest, and, frankly, the best lawyers in town. The 28th JDB (Buncombe County) has embraced these service principles through sustained, meaningful pro bono work, and its bar members support holistic law CLE programming examining lawyers as peacemakers and seeking “peace from within,” to facilitate life-work balance.

Thank you for helping us “go within,” in whatever form makes sense, to discover what it means to integrate spirituality and the practice of law. This is already being done on many levels and to many different degrees. A great resource (and what started me on this path) is the ABA Journal Publication, “Transforming Practices: Finding Joy and Satisfaction in Legal Life” by Steven Keeva. Keeva sets out a roadmap for transforming one’s practice and life through such integration.

Jennifer Foster
Asheville, North Carolina