The Cure for the Distracted Mind: Why Law Schools Should Teach

Mindfulness

Shailini J. George sgeorge@suffolk.eduProfessor of Legal Writing

Suffolk University Law School

Fourth Annual Colonial Legal Writing Conference“Teaching the Academically Underprepared Law Student”

December 6, 2014

What is mindfulness?

Today’s law students

• Millennials

• Digital natives

• “gen M”

• Google generation

• FOMO generation

Why mindfulness in law school?

Science of Learning

• Frontal lobe-brain’s manager. Used to concentrate and deeply focus.

• Parietal lobe-always seeking sensory information from the environment.

How do we learn?

• Complex, multi-step process which requires attention

Mindfulness can improve focus

Benefits of mindfulness

Benefits include:• Improved attention• Increased working memory capacity• Rise in academic achievement• Increased empathy and self compassion• Improved creativity• Boosted immunity• Reduction in stress and anxiety

Mindfulness in the classroom

• Breathing exercise

• One minute journal

• Discussion of metacognition

Mindfulness in law schools now

• Law schools have begun teaching and encouraging mindfulness • For credit/not for credit classes

• Emotional intelligence• Professional responsibility• Dispute resolution

• Part of clinics• Meditation retreats

Mindfulness in teaching benefits

learningExamples:

• Journals• Self-critiques• Mid-term evaluations• Short writing assignments• Muddiest point/one-minute paper