Slow law- Slow advice, time consuming, thoughtful reasonable and well slowly disarming.
Guest post by Susanne Hoogwater- Visual thinking partner for Renaissance Souls & Creative Lawyer
It’s all about balance in life and law. I love the energy of the fast lane, quick thinking and rapid producing. And I am grateful for my life as a creative monk at other times. I am a big advocate of fast food in the legal field: bite size legal information, portable, understandable and attractively packaged. However – the trend watcher in me recently started to play with the concept of Slow Law.
What would be the essential qualities of law in this era that we would like to preserve and re-install? I now present you the results of my brainstorm, and welcome all other insights.
The need to think before you write or act.
The level of precision.
The level of focus and concentration.
The sense of working with really valuable information, that represents one of the pillars of our modern democracies in which we take the rule of law as a given (and not as something we personally have to do anything for).
The sense of critical agreements, that you will really think about before entering into and before signing, let alone clicking on some kind of spacey box (” Yes, I accept your terms and conditions”).
The meditative quality of handwriting with pen and ink or even with a fountain pen (try this at home and in the office!). Your brain actually works better, more clear, more creative, more balanced, when it’s going a little slower. Neuro-scientists could tell you all about this.
The clear presence of the human factor: the drops and smudges of ink for errors.
Appreciation for the craftmanship of handwriting, and the fine motor skills development that comes with it. This could be a metaphor for the slower ingredients of legal education, such as developing patience, wisdom, understanding, a focus on collaboration. The skills set of the master, the (ideal) oldest partner or colleague in your office.
The need to be very concise, selective and clear on what to write. Every extra word is time-consuming and therefore expensive, especially in the stage of reproduction of documents by the scribes of the tribe.
The beauty of the profession. In its essence, it is a cool invention to have a dedicated group of people with clear minds and sharp words work to distinct similarities and differences beyond the appearances of human stories and corporate dramas.
The exclusivity of the experience and the perceived value of the documents: use email and telephone for ordinary communication, but if you really commit to a serious business or personal relationship, the type of paper needs to reflect the meaning and importance. Did anyone of you send out wedding invitations by text message? Or decided to accept a business partner with the click of a mouse?
The efficiency and productivity : You could actually do more in less time, in a relaxed and focused state of mind. Slow is the new fast.
So, we need to start somewhere to slow down. Here are a few – highly impractical – suggestions for slow law practice:
Write with a fountain pen, even when you are making your own notes.
Sign letters and documents with pen and ink and invite your clients to do the same.
Buy a quill, a feather pen. Or better: go for a hike, find a feather, then hand carve the tip. Men love their Swiss army tools and women adore men that are actually carry them along at the right moment and demonstrate agility in the use. This must go back to our hunter/gatherer roots.
Map out the essence of a business contract or regulatory framework on letter-size paper or a flipchart, before drafting the text.
Call your clients, co-workers and professional friends. Even better: have a slow lunch with them.
Write a handwritten summary of your legal advice to your management, maximum one page. This will help them slow down too.
Walk to the bookstore. Buy a legal textbook, touch the pages. Hear the crisp sound of flipping through the pages.
Read the dissertation (full text edition!) of one of your academic heroes in law. If you don’t have any, find a new profession. When finished, send a box of chocolates to the author and a handwritten note on the most poetic sounding concept of the theory. You don’t really have to understand what it is about.
Visit the library. Go find the oldest book available. Smell it.
Unplug your electronic devices for 30 minutes, then try 60 minutes. You’ll be OK.
Advanced slow law skills:
Hand bind documents that are really important for your clients into a book. (research tip: antique bookbinding techniques). Or go to a nice office store to handpick a good looking binder. Pay a bookbinding class for your secretary. This would slow down and energize her job as well. This is a long term investment in your professional relationship.
Read aloud a legal document to older clients. Record it. Give the CD in addition to the paperwork.
Embroider your signature and invite other parties to do the same.
Other links by Susanne:
Comments