Innovative Course to Mix Buddhist Teachings and Litigation Skills

Associate Dean David Zlotnick is one of a number of skilled advocates on the RWU Law faculty, but he is the only one who has read broadly and thought deeply about how Eastern concepts could be applied to the teaching and practice of law.  David was recently one of ten scholars from around the country to be awarded a grant from the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, which David will use to develop and teach a course that integrates mindfulness theory and practice into trial advocacy. 

Here is summary of David’s innovative project:

Trial lawyers notoriously suffer from burnout and substance abuse and often adopt cynical attitudes towards their clients and themselves. Law students hoping to become trial lawyers frequently succumb to public speaking anxiety and hold self-defeating conceptions of what they hope to become. This course seeks to address these issues by making the learning and practice of trial advocacy more mindful and more humane for everyone involved. This integration takes place on four levels. First, meditation and relaxation techniques will be integrated into every class to help students reconnect to their bodies and hearts. Second, students will use mindfulness to connect with their clients and witnesses on a deeper emotional and spiritual level. Third, the course will integrate Buddhist teaching about illusions of control and about connectedness to cut through the chaotic and adversarial veneer of trial work. Fourth, western notions of duality in the trial process such as right and wrong, guilty and not guilty, will be contested and students will explore more nuanced ideas about truth and justice to encourage these future trial lawyers not to discard possible alternative notions of dispute resolution such as restorative justice and mediation.

For more information about the granting organization, visit:
http://www.contemplativemind.org/programs/academic/fellowships.html