“A Potpourri of Skills for Being a More Effective Collaborative Lawyer”
Presented by J. Kim Wright, Esq.
May 31, 2006, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Ithaca, New York
Audience:
Members of Collaborative Family Lawyers of the Finger Lakes (collaborative law practice group in Ithaca, New York)
Admission Restrictions
Open to members of Collaborative Family Lawyers of the Finger Lakes only
Method of Evaluation
Participant critique
Method of Presentation
Faculty in room with participants. Lecture, experiential exercises and role plays.
Attendance Verification
Sign-in sheet
Hours of CLE: 4 (all Skills)
Timed outline, course description, breakdown of CLE credit hours:
4-5 p.m. Effective First Client Meetings - 1 hour (Skills)
The first meeting between a client and attorney is an important opportunity to talk with clients about their options and learn about client goals. Sometimes important information is lost in the effort to share legal information. Using both her experience as a collaborative lawyer and coach, Kim Wright will help you design first meetings that are the most effective for you and your clients.
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Getting Out of the Drama Triangle - 1 hour (Skills)
The most prevalent dysfunction in American culture is the Drama Triangle, and nowhere is it more visible than in divorce! Like a game of musical chairs, the players in the triangle – the victim, perpetrator, and rescuer -- vie for positions and change places. The lawyer who originally entered the drama as a rescuer may find him- or herself suddenly and unwittingly sitting in the perpetrator’s or victim’s chair. How do we avoid getting caught up in the triangle and perpetuating the drama? The first key to avoiding the Drama Triangle is to know you're in it. This one-hour section will distinguish the Drama Triangle so that you will recognize the dynamic, and will introduce ways of escaping the drama and being more effective with your clients.
6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Solving Problems Creatively - 1 hour (Skills)
Participants are asked to bring a problem to this session. Innovative tools will be introduced to examine it, find options, and resolve it. We'll explore DeBono's Six Thinking Hats and brainstorming techniques that can be used to create and evaluate client options in collaborative four-way meetings.
7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Honoring Conflict: as an Opportunity for Transformation - 1 hour (Skills)
What would it be like if lawyers approached every conflict as an opportunity for transformation? What if we knew how to honor conflict in our own lives so we could help clients honor it in theirs? What might we learn about ourselves and others? How might we grow in ways that we couldn't as solitary beings? Conflict is a natural part of life. Two plants compete for a few square inches of soil; two people want to sit in this chair; two friends have very different political views. Two parents love each other, but they don't see eye-to-eye about money management or what's best for their children. Whatever the focus of your law practice, conflict is present and presents an opportunity for a new relationship between the parties in a dispute and with the idea of conflict itself. In this section, we'll look at different approaches to conflict -- including avoiding, competing, collaborating, accommodating, and compromising – and we'll introduce a new model: honoring conflict.
Faculty name(s) and credentials
J. Kim Wright is managing attorney of Healers of Conflicts Law & Conflict Resolution Center in Asheville, North Carolina and the publisher of The Cutting Edge Law Magazine. Kim is a 1989 graduate of the University of Florida College of Law and many coach training programs. She practices mediation, collaborative law and collaborative divorce. Kim founded the Renaissance Lawyer Society and served on the RLS board from 2001-2006. She coaches other attorneys, serves on several boards and committees, and is an active speaker, CLE leader, writer, trainer and advocate for law as a peacemaking profession.