LAW 529LEC - Contemplative Practice and Law

This course aims to prepare students for the stresses and rigors of the legal profession by introducing them to contemplative practices designed to gain insight into our inner and outer worlds. Contemplative practices taught during the course include, but are not limited to, meditation and Jungian “archetypal” and “shadow work”. The course explores, from a contemplative and meditative perspective, the professional responsibilities of lawyers, the stresses of the legal profession, the explicit and implicit assumptions that animate our views of law and legal actors, and the skillful management of the textured and complex emotions that impact a lawyer’s work life. Students enrolled in the course are expected to: (1) engage in a daily meditation practice throughout the semester, (2) keep a journal for both writing down daily reflections and for doing Jungian “archetypal” and “shadow work”, and (3) participate in a day-long silent meditation retreat.

Credits: 3