The Introverted Lawyer: A Seven-Step Journey Toward Authentically Empowered Advocacy: A Seven-Step Journey Toward Authentically Empowered Advocacy

by Heidi K. Brown

Overview

The first half of this book:

(1) Explains the differences among introversion, shyness, and social anxiety and how each can manifest in the legal context.

(2) Explores the impact on quiet individuals of the push toward extroversion in law school and law practice.

(3) Highlights greatly valued proficiencies that quiet individuals offer the legal profession through nurturing instead of repressing innate strengths.

Further, to help quiet law students and lawyers become authentically powerful advocates, the second half of this book outlines a practical seven-step process to empower introverted, shy, and socially anxious individuals to amplify their voices without compromising their quiet assets. With increased self-awareness and a holistic approach, and buoyed by collaboratively compassionate and motivating professors and law office mentors, introverted, shy, and socially anxious law students and lawyers will transform the legal profession.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781634257732
Publisher:	American Bar Association
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	582,792
File size:	425 KB

About the Author

Heidi K. Brown is an Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Legal Writing Program at Brooklyn Law School. For nearly two decades as a litigator in the rough-and-tumble construction industry, Heidi battled social anxiety and extreme public speaking anxiety in performance-oriented scenarios such as depositions, negotiations, and court appearances. Transitioning to law teaching and recognizing similar angst and trepidation in many of her hard-working legal writing students, Heidi began tackling this issue head-on, studying introversion, shyness, and social anxiety in the legal context. Embracing and championing introversion and other forms of quietude as formidable assets in teaching, learning about, and practicing law, Heidi’s passion lies in emboldening quiet law students and lawyers toward authentically empowered advocacy. Heidi is a recipient of the 2014 Global Legal Skills Award presented at the Ninth Annual Global Legal Skills Conference in Verona, Italy, and a member of the Fulbright Specialist Roster. Heidi graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with high distinction from The University of Virginia, and earned her Juris Doctor from The University of Virginia School of Law.

Table of Contents

Preface v

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: I Walked the Quiet Walk xiii

Part I Quiet Law Students and Lawyers: Change Agents for the Profession 1

Chapter 1 Shades of Quiet: Distinctions Among Introversion, Shyness, and Social Anxiety 3

Chapter 2 Challenges Quiet Law Students and Lawyers Face 23

Chapter 3 Change Agents for the Profession 35

Part II A Seven-Step Journey Toward Authentically Empowered Advocacy 51

Chapter 4 Don't Just Do It … Just Be It 53

Chapter 5 Step 1: Mental Reflection 67

Chapter 6 Step 2: Physical Reflection 83

Chapter 7 Step 3: Mental Action 91

Chapter 8 Step 4: Physical Action 99

Chapter 9 Step 5: Action Agenda 109

Chapter 10 Step 6: Pre-Game and Game-Day Action 119

Chapter 11 Step 7: Past-Action Reflection and Paying It Forward 169

Appendix A Key Takeaways from The Introverted Lawyer for Law Professors and Law Practice Mentors 177

Appendix B Practical Suggestions for Law Professors and Law Practice Mentors 185

Bibliography 199

Notes 205

Index 223