JUDI COHEN: CHAIR, TEACHERS DIVISION
MINDFUL LEADERS IN THE LAW: An interview with Judi Cohen
By Christopher J. Lhulier
Welcome to the Summer edition of the Mindful Leaders in the Law interview series. Our goal, through this series, is not only to strengthen our community by sharing interesting conversations with some of the amazing individuals who make-up MILS. By spotlighting the paths and practices of others, we hope to also inspire and empower our members to build their mindfulness practices in creative ways that are uniquely satisfying to them.
I had the opportunity this month to talk with MILS founding board member and chair of the Teachers Division, Judi Cohen. Judi is the founder of Warrior One, an organization supporting legal professionals in establishing a calm, focused perspective, increased resilience and wellbeing, and equity in the profession. She is also a frequent speaker, lecturer and trainer on the topics of mindfulness and competence, ethics, and elimination of bias in the legal profession at law firms, public interest organizations, and bar associations. Many thanks to Judi for taking the time to provide thoughtful and interesting responses to my questions.
Q: How did you begin practicing mindfulness?
A: I went to India in 1986, took a random yoga class, and was hooked. When I came home, to San Francisco, there was no such thing as a yoga studio. I began practicing on my own, doing strange poses in the middle of the dining room, using B.K.S. Iyengar’s classic text, Light on Yoga. Then I got married, my daughter was born, and her dad and I split up, in fairly rapid succession. In 1994, I checked the schedule for The Esalen Institute and there was a class called Introduction to Mindfulness on a rare, non-mommy weekend. The course was being taught by James Baraz, a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. None of that meant anything to me but it was my weekend off, so I went. Five minutes into the first, 5-minute meditation, I was home. I’ve been studying with James, and practicing mindfulness, ever since.
Q: I know that Warrior One is making a positive difference in the lives of many lawyers, including some of MILS’ members. As the founder of Warrior One, can you briefly describe what it is?
A: At Warrior One, we offer mindfulness training specifically designed by and for lawyers and other legal professionals. Lawyers face unique challenges specific to our training and practice. Our programs meet those challenges with classical mindfulness practices informed by the most recent neuroscientific studies on mindfulness. Our mission, and hope, is that anyone who attends a Warrior One program or joins our free, Thursday morning Wake Up Call (or listens to it as a podcast) gains tools to be more present, find greater ease in their work and life, and begins to meet the challenges of the law and of the world with more joy, courage, and grace. In terms of what specific positive differences we’ve made in the lives of those who’ve enjoyed our programs, I guess you’d have to ask them, but I’m delighted that they feel we have made that kind of difference!
Q: One of Warrior One’s offerings is a mindfulness teacher training program. Is there more demand for this type of training in the past few years? Since the pandemic?
A: Definitely. We are seeing an uptick in interest in the 2022 Mindfulness in Law Teacher Training, and are enjoying reading applications. We only offer the training every two years, and word seems to be getting out about that, which means people are realizing that if they want to apply for the training they need to do that now or wait until 2023. So far we’ve heard from applicants who are beginners, long-time practitioners, and everything in-between. We can only accept a maximum of 20 students because of space constraints at Green Gulch Farm, where we offer the in-person portions of the training, and in the past we have been fortunate enough to be able to select a very diverse and powerful but even smaller cohort. For 2022, we expect to be in a similar situation but with even more demand. And p.s., one of our MILS co-chairs (Chapin Cimino), plus the chair of the MILS DEI Collective (Bella Dilworth), are both MLTT graduates. And our other MILS co-chair (Scott Rogers) was one of our founding teachers.
Q: Can you envision a day when mindfulness and wellbeing are more or less integrated into the culture of law and are not just “nice to haves”?
A: Yes. I like to compare mindfulness to legal research and writing, marketing, and DEI training. When I went to law school, back in the distant, hazy past of the early 1980’s, there were no legal research and writing courses. As 1L’s we were introduced to the librarian and that was that. Marketing was considered tawdry: either you were a natural rainmaker, or you weren’t. And diversity, equity, and inclusion were not part of the vernacular. Now of course, no one graduates from law school without a solid foundation in research and writing; marketing is offered as a training at some law schools and most firms; and we are seeing DEI training in both venues as well in public interest and government jobs.
When I first started offering mindfulness courses at Golden Gate University School of Law in 2010, students were either looking for what they thought would be an easy two credits (and unfortunately although mindfulness is simple, it’s not always so easy), or trying to fill their schedule. They reported knowing about mindfulness because, they said, “my mom was a hippie” – things like that. By the time I was invited to teach at Berkeley Law in 2015, many of my students reported that they’d had mindfulness courses in college, high school, and in some cases, elementary school. As these students graduate and begin practicing law, they’ll be bringing not only the solitary, meditation elements of mindfulness with them into the profession, but also the portable ethics, compassion, and wisdom practices as well. Last year one student told me that one of their standard questions in on campus interviews is whether the firm has a commitment to mindfulness. What a terrific question, and what a huge shift.
Q: As a lecturer and teacher who interacts regularly with the next generation of legal professionals, do you find that law students, compared to established attorneys, are generally interested in mindfulness and other wellbeing practices and are ready to prioritize those practices in their lives?
A: Yes. Not only are they generally interested in, and ready to prioritize, mindfulness and other wellbeing practices, but they are realizing these practices are essential to their being able to sustain a joyful, healthy career. They know how pervasive burnout, depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicide are in our profession, and they’re committed to doing things differently. It’s a relief, and it’s changing the profession for the better.
Q: What advice would you give young lawyers and law students who want to balance their career success with their overall physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing?
A: Find a good teacher and learn and practice mindfulness. Meditate every day. Get outdoors and into nature every day, even if just by taking a walk around the block. Set up a solid support system of like-minded lawyers committed to their own wellbeing, the wellbeing of their firms or organizations, and the wellbeing of their communities. Get regular exercise, eat healthy food, and make time to be with friends and loved ones, even if – or especially if – you’re under a lot of pressure. If you’re not having fun, find a new job! And make sure you feel good about your work: that you feel you’re making a positive contribution to your community and to society. This is crucial. All of that probably sounds like a lot of “to do’s” but it’s the most important to-do list you’ll make.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote or expression about mindfulness or wellbeing that reminds you of why mindfulness and wellbeing are priorities in your life?
A: I’m in a training called Socially Engaged Buddhism, out of Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Our main teacher, Roshi Joan Halifax, recently said, “We are in this world not to hide out but to work the edge of our anger and futility. Then we can finally get to compassion - fierce, ruthless compassion.” I love that.
Q: Do you have a “Summer of 2021” reading/watching list? If so, do you have any recommendations for MILS members? Bonus points if anything on it relates to mindfulness or wellbeing.
A: In terms of reading, I’m enjoying re-reading Professor Rhonda Magee’s beautiful book, The Inner Work of Racial Justice – I learn something new every time I pick it up. One of my favorite mindfulness books is Norman Fischer’s book, Training in Compassion, a slim, accessible volume that’s easy to love. Awakening Joy, by my teacher, James Baraz, is a classic: my copy is completely dog-eared. I went through all of Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad books – she’s a lyrical Irish writer and I love her characters. Lately I’ve been enjoying Edward Rutherfurd’s historical fiction, including China, New York, and Paris – they’re wonderfully written and terrific for a long summer evening. In terms of watching, I’d say top of my list are Broadchurch, C.B. Strike, Lupin, The Kominsky Method, Bridgerton, The Serpent, and Mare of East Town. As you can see, other than a couple of shows, I’m a bit of a crime-drama junkie.