CHANGE AND BECOME A BETTER LAWYER FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, BY ARTHUR BROOKS

According to Benjamin Franklin “… in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” It could easily be added to that saying that change is certain to happen.

Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we are all changing, particularly our mental abilities. Do you think that you are at the top of your game, or at least moving to the top? After all, you are well-educated, you may have dozens of trials under your belt, and you may have practiced law for a decade or longer. I am sad to tell you that if you are older than 30, you are most likely no longer at the top of that part of our game that we may believe is essential to success. Several of the abilities that we associate with success have already begun to suffer.

Arthur Brooks’ book From Strength to Strength tells us in no uncertain terms that our mental abilities change as we age and that the second half of our lives begins earlier than we might think.

However, all is not lost. According to Brooks, who is a professor in both the Kennedy School at Harvard and the Harvard Business School, there are two curves of intelligence, fluid and crystallized. Fluid intelligence is associated with coming up with new ideas and/or solving hard problems, two skills that we need as lawyers. We may even think that those are the most important skills that a good lawyer might possess. But there is a second kind of intelligence. Crystallized intelligence is the ability to use the information and knowledge that we have accumulated over our lives. While you will, unfortunately, not retain the same abilities to problem solve or to develop new ideas, you will continue to accumulate knowledge through your forties, fifties, sixties and beyond and be able to use it.

Dr. Brooks explains the concepts in detail with a sense of humor and with clarity. He draws on his personal experience of being a professional musician who peaked before he was 30 and who looked for an explanation as to why. Even though he continued to practice, he was getting worse instead of becoming better as an instrumentalist. After explaining the reasons for his “decline” with science and history, he gives practical tips for making transitions. He calls this “liminality,” or transition without crisis.

A friend recommended this book to me as I was struggling with the changes brought on by retirement. I was very afraid that the working world would associate me with no longer being useful, and I needed to read something that would boost my self-esteem. I found the book to be very comforting, and I wish that I had been able to read it years ago. It has led me to several conclusions, one being that since attorneys spend a great deal of time explaining large amounts of accumulated knowledge to clients, judges, and juries, we are in a profession where we can take advantage of the type of change that Arthur Brooks describes well, well past our 30s, 40s, etc. However, we need to understand how to use our new skills. There is no reason to be glum about what might at first blush be a negative. We are changing, and we are changing for the better.

This is a very easy book to read or to listen to. The webpage about the book includes a book group guide which is, also, valuable to consult as the book is read. https://22723551.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/ hubfs/2272

It was very exciting to hear about Dr. Brooks’ next book. It will be released in September and is about happiness. He writes it with…drum roll…Oprah.

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As part of this year’s focus on celebrating our bar association’s diverse membership and exploring creative ways for members to connect, network, and experience fulfillment in the practice of law, we would like to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of KBA members who are making a difference in the legal arena and beyond. Send links to news to posts or articles, pictures, or just a blurb about what’s going on to membership@knoxbar.org.

Kramer Rayson is pleased to announce that twenty-two of the firm’s twenty-seven attorneys were recently named as Knoxville’s Top Attorneys in their areas of practice by their peers in CityView magazine. Additionally, seven of those were given CityView’s designation of Golden Gavel by receiving the top votes in their areas of practice.

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