• Best seller lists reflect our search for purpose and meaning, a hunger for connectedness, and the need for self actualization.
• Religious and spiritual leaders herald a return to spiritual values.
• Scientists point to the effects of accelerating technology on our social systems.
• Social scientists Paul Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson conducted research and identified the emergence world-wide of the  "Cultural Creatives" -- 50 million people creating change in the world.
• The events of September 11 escalated the inquiry about what is important in life. The events that have unfolded since then, including the economic slump, the war in Iraq, the disasters of the Indian Ocean tsunami, earthquakes, and hurricanes, have brought us all to a new place. The assumptions we used to have, the presumptions we use to make, are all open to reexamination and review.

Others talk about chaos theories, globalization, and even astrological theories about the Age of Aquarius. Even before those events, the legal profession was undergoing major change:

• Some of the work we do (processing some paperwork, giving basic information, and routine tasks) can now be accessed for no or low cost on the Internet.
• In many states, accountants, paralegals, and counselor-mediators now offer services that replace the need for an attorney.
• Big firms are finding ways to cross jurisdictional lines.
• Multi-disciplinary practice is debated and revisited; many people think it is inevitable.
• As lawyers, we are left wondering how our profession will evolve and increasingly, our legal precedents are getting stretched beyond recognition.

Whatever the explanation, the legal system has had to respond to the change and isn't equipped to respond as quickly as society is changing. Innovative alternative approaches have developed and new ideas are being introduced into the legal system:

• Alternative dispute resolution has evolved to appropriate dispute resolution.
• Mediation has developed many different approaches.
• Courts are redesigning to focus on certain societal problems, with an eye to solving them.
• Completely new innovations in practicing law have emerged and variations have occurred in these innovations. These innovations may be very different but tend to have many characteristics in common. Not all elements are present in all the approaches but there are many overlaps.

The rapid rate of change isn't the only issue affecting the legal profession. Historically, lawyers were viewed as community leaders and public servants, respected for their advice and called in to protect the rights of the accused and downtrodden. In recent years, lawyers have been the subject of public scandals, biting jokes and ridicule -- evidencing a clear lack of public respect for the profession. Increasingly, colleagues often don't respect each other and, in some cases, the adversarial system has become a battle field for personal attacks by lawyers. Many bar associations and lawyers have sounded an alarm, warning of a crisis in the profession. Research indicates

• One-third to two-thirds of lawyers want to leave the practice of law. Many are doing so.
• At least one in five of lawyers has all the symptoms of clinical depression.
• As many as one in eleven lawyers consider suicide on a regular basis. 

    
In spite of all the problems and the public scandals, lawyers are still the ones people turn to in times of trouble - for advice, for advocacy, for public service on boards, and in elected office. People still look to the legal profession for leadership. In times of such rapid change and such monumental challenges, there is a need for trusted leadership.  As lawyers, we want to contribute to our communities, live balanced lives in which we give our families the time, love, and attention they deserve, take care of ourselves, be active, productive members of our communities. We want to work inside a system we can be proud of, where we can see the difference we make in people's lives and impact we make on the community.

Working within the traditional legal system, sometimes we are as perplexed as our clients. Accustomed to having all the answers, we find ourselves wondering and questioning our own abilities.

 Renaissance Lawyer Society is a non-profit [501c3] educational organization created to address these issues, support innovation and transformation in the legal profession, and support lawyers.   This web site is part of our work of educating lawyers, legal educators, coaches who work with lawyers, legal staff, the media, and the community, about the movement toward creating a legal system that works for everyone, restoring respect for it, and responding to the rapid change.
      Few would argue that the legal system is changing and that the future legal professionals will practice differently. We are here to promote a particular kind of change in the legal profession -- the movement toward future-focused resolution to problems, results that bring about healing and connection, win/win resolutions for everyone. We intend that our site be the center for a conversation about transformational lawyering and invite those of you who have workshops, conferences, retreats, teleclasses, etc. to email us about being interviewed to be included on the site.

If this is your first visit to our site, we suggest that you start with a quick exploration of the site to get an idea of what is available here.  We appreciate your feedback and will listen to it carefully.

We are a transforming organization and we are finding our path to bringing transformation to the legal profession. We invite you to find your own path and thereby walk ours with us.

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Copyright 2006 Renaissance Lawyer Society

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