Transforming Practices Coaches seeks leader for monthly call. Contact jkimwright@renaissancelawyer.com. 

The 10.1 Most Important Tips for Coaching Lawyers. Led by two lawyer-coaches, Neil Olson, JD CPCC and Kim Wright JD, this course promises to increase your effectiveness with this niche market! Space is limited. Teleclass will be offered on September 9. For more information or to register, see www.theconsciouscoach.com.

5 Transformative Mediation

Barbara Phillips has a new web site. See www.crtraining.com.

6 Humanizing Legal Education 

Humanizing Legal Education Conference has been set for August 8 to 10 in Austin , TX .  There is also a practitioner's track:

Better Learning, Better Lawyers, Building Towards a Better Future lawyers  For information or to register, contact mgaston@texasbar.com.

7 Restorative Justice

Link: Victim Offender Mediation Association http://www.voma.org/connect.shtml.

19th Annual Victim Offender Mediation Association International Training Institute and Conference will be held September 23-27, 2002 in Ft. Lauderdale , Florida .  For more information please email duanerh@fresno.edu

8 Integrating Law, Politics and Spirituality

Integrating Law, Politics, and Spirituality Task Force Retreat. Marconi Retreat Center. August 30 through September 3. Marconi conference center, http://www.marconiconfctr.org/.  Space is limited and by invitation only. For info, contact  thewendyervin@yahoo.com.

XXVII Congress on Law and Mental Health, July 8-12, 2002 , Amsterdam . See http://www.ialmh.org

3rd Global Conference: Diversity within Unity: Cultures of Violence 12 to 16 August 2002 , Prague , Czech Republic . E-mail: Dr Rob Fisher rf@inter-disciplinary.net;  See http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/du3cv1.htm

The City University of New York Dispute Resolution Consortium at John Jay College of Criminal Justice has received a grant to conduct research on the ADR responses to the September 11th attacks.  The acts of terrorism have spun off a wide range of conflicts and disputes which have been handled by mediators, facilitators, conciliators and other conflict resolvers. This research project is guided by the following questions, "What did conflict resolvers do?" and "What lessons has the Dispute Resolution field learned?"   Please send information about any responses, experiences, sessions, and initiatives you are aware of to mvolpe@jjay.cuny.edu  or mail them to Professor Maria R. Volpe, John Jay College of Criminal Justice - CUNY, Sociology and Dispute Resolution, 899 Tenth Avenue , Room 520, New York , NY 10019 .  Nickie Phillips and Gennifer Furst, Research Assistants for this project, can be reached at (212) 237-8686. 

Call for Program Proposals: The deadline for submitting a proposal is August 1, 2002 for American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Fifth Annual Spring Conference, San Antonio , Texas , March 20-22, 2003 ; Special rate hotel rooms available at The Hilton Palacio del Rio , (210) 222-1400. This year, they are encouraging electronic submission of the proposals either online from their website http://www.abanet.org/dispute/SanAntonio.html  (online form or Word file) or as an e-mail to dispute@abanet.org. Conflict Studies: The New Generation of Ideas ~ October 24-26, 2002 .    For more information, please visit  www.disres.umb.edu. 

"New Directions in the Field of Conflict Resolution" is designed for busy trainers and practitioners who want to keep abreast of new developments in the field of conflict resolution, discuss them with colleagues in the field, and consider the practical implications for their practice or training materials and methodology. The first workshop, to be held on Friday November 29, 2002 , is entitled "Going Beyond Interests in Negotiation and Mediation." Presenters will be Catherine Morris, Paulette Regan and Gordon Sloan. The workshop is co-sponsored by the University of Victoria Institute for Dispute Resolution and the Division of Continuing Studies. See http://www.peacemakers.ca/education/newdirections.html for more information or to request a brochure. This particular workshop will be held at Dunsmuir Lodge, a conference facility very near the ferry terminal and airport with spectacular views, amenities and food. http://www.peacemakers.ca 

 11 Lawyer Assistance Programs

15th National Workshop for Lawyer Assistance Programs, Portland , Maine ; October 1-4, 2002 Sheraton South Portland, Sponsored by the ABA ’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/colap/workshop.html 

12 CLE

Nyingma Institute CLE Schedule: Tel: (510) 843-6812 nyingma-institute@nyingma.org;  www.NyingmaInstitute.com

STRESS REDUCTION FOR LAWYERS  July 26, Aug 23, Sept 14, Oct 11, (Berkeley), Sept 20 (Los Altos), November 1 (Fort Mason, San Francisco) ($200, lunch included). 9:45 AM -3:30 PM. 5.0 CLE Credits: 4.0 in Law Practice Management and 1.0 in Substance Abuse.

15 MINUTES TO GREATER EFFICIENCY AND LESS STRESS July 27, October 26 (Berkeley)  Learn to use 15 minutes to reduce stress effectively so it does not return and you are able to renew your energy during a long work day.  3.0 CLE Credits: 2.0 in Law Practice Management and 1.0 in Substance Abuse. $150 (lunch included). 9:45 AM-1:30 PM .

RELEASING EMOTIONAL STRESS AND TENSION FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION: R.E.S.T. FOR LAWYERS   August 24 and October 25 ( Berkeley ) Learn Tibetan healing and movement exercises that release emotional distress and promote deep relaxation. 5.0 CLE Credits: 4.0 in Emotional Distress and 1.0 in Substance Abuse. $200 (lunch included). 9:45 AM-3:30 PM .

BIAS IN COMMUNICATION   July 26, 27, August 23, 24, Sept 13, 14, Oct 11, 25, 26 (Berkeley), Sept 20 (Los Altos), Nov 1 (San Francisco) This one-hour lecture and discussion explores the roots of bias and offers communication practices that can assist in recognizing and preventing bias in a legal setting. 1.0 CLE Credit in Bias. $60. 8:30 AM-9:30 AM .

LEGAL ETHICS FOR HUMAN BEINGS  September 13 ( Berkeley ) Can legal ethics express our best qualities, knowledge, and convictions, instead of ignoring them? Can the stresses and strains of law practice become the training ground for deepening our ethical stands? 4.0 CLE Credits in Legal Ethics. $175 (lunch included). 9:45 AM-2:30 PM .

  
13 RL Leadership

Highlighted member of leadership:  Each month, we highlight a member of our board.  This month, our focus is on Kevin Ginsberg.

Kevin Ginsberg, J.D., LMT is a founding board member of Renaissance Lawyer Society. Kevin is both a licensed attorney and massage therapist in North Carolina .

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration in 1994, Kevin deferred his acceptance into law school for a year in order to travel throughout Europe and spend all of the Bar Mitzvah money he had been saving since he was thirteen years old.  During this time he began to study several disciplines of yoga and meditation, including the use of juggling as a mindfulness practice.

While running away from some children in Dublin , Ireland who were trying to mug him, he had an epiphany - that he would teach grade school to underprivileged children for the Teach For America program instead of going to law school. Despite his mom's shpilkes, he wrote a letter, in pencil, with mistakes scratched out, not even properly erased, to the Dean of UNC's School of Law saying "Thanks, but no thanks, I am going to Teach For America!" When he failed to qualify for the program, however, he crawled back to the law school and asked for his space back. His admission was granted, and he then went on to attend his first year of law school. During this first year of law school, Kevin had another epiphany - again that he would teach grade school to underprivileged children for the Teach For America program instead of continuing law school. So he applied again, was accepted and left for Baltimore where he spent two years teaching beautiful fourth and sixth grade children.

Upon returning to law school, which he found considerably easier and less stressful than teaching fourth and sixth graders, Kevin concurrently enrolled in one of the nation's premier massage therapy programs, the Body Therapy Institute in Siler City , North Carolina . It was during this time of right brain/left brain immersion that he began to explore the possibilities of integrating holism and spirituality with the law and met J. Kim Wright in her Graham, North Carolina law practice.  This liaison eventually helped to
create Renaissance Lawyer Society.

Now a master juggler, Kevin presents at schools and workshops, coaches private lessons and facilitates "Mindfulness Juggling" workshops.

Formerly a clerk for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Kevin currently is developing a private practice that integrates the use of therapeutic massage and bodywork, breathing, stretching and meditation practices, legal counseling, juggling, coaching and haiku writing. He was married in March, 2002 and lives with his wife and 120 pound shepherd/ retriever, Stogie Kyleberg.

14 RL Community Connections

Virtual Community: Renaissance Lawyer Society Board member Jennifer Geary moderates an email group to provide a forum for communication and discussion among those of us engaged in transforming the legal system. It is a virtual community to share your challenges, triumphs, and stories. We are in the early stages, still introducing ourselves, and waiting for you to arrive. To find out more, email info@tridentfoundation.net. 

Mentoring Program:  We periodically have requests for mentors for law students or lawyers who are transforming their practices and want to work with another lawyer. If you would like to be a mentor, please email jkimwright@mindspring.com.

A new on-line chat is available on 'Transformative Law & Peace-building', sponsored by Flow. Flow is an association of conscious individuals dedicated to envisioning and facilitating lifestyles of wholeness, a community of members who share common dreams and challenges, an organization committed to serve as a powerful resource for this community of gifted and powerful people, and creating the mind, body, spirit conversation across the country. Visit www.flownational.com for more information.