The Mindfulness Blog

NOOM is an acronym of New Organisms and Other Matters-- it's also the marketing name of a weight-loss program that is relatively new, in the States. Based upon what promoters describe as a "psychology-based approach", it's a regimen that impacts the body, but really focuses on the power of the mind. What a concept.

What, you may ask, does the mind have to do with the body? I don't suppose it will surprise you to learn the answer: Everything! And what does the mind have to do with the mind? A lot more than a sphinxlike riddle might suggest, and it's a riddle about which the legal profession for the most part, doesn't have a clue-- at least, not in the States.

Given the 3 years spent in law school, after 4 years of undergraduate study-- and given the apprenticeship that lawyers are required to serve (widely known as the "associate years")-- one would have thought that preserving the minds of lawyers would be more of a priority for law firms. That is obviously not the case.

Sure, emphasis is given to reading and writing, which are both important functions of the mind-- but what about other functions? What about the basic ability to function? Not so much-- in fact, for most law firms, not at all.

Maybe, if the challenge of lawyer wellbeing was given more attention (and more money)-- and maybe, if the challenge of lawyer wellbeing was referred to by a snappy acronym (like NOOM), it would be taken more seriously. Sadly, however, that is not the case.

Conventional accounting wisdom in the business world, is that one can't cut one's way to prosperity (by cutting the budget). That wisdom is apparently-- actually, quite obviously-- at odds with the manner in which most legal institutions have chosen to address the well-documented challenge of lawyer wellbeing.

Until that changes, it would appear that lawyer wellbeing is a matter that will fall largely in the laps of impacted individuals-- sort of like dieting.