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Can a law office be a place of healing?

By Theresa Petrey, Esq.

Today in church Cathy Gibb talked about her experience this year in running the costuming department for Valley Musical Theater's production of The King and I, and that she had discovered that it was a place of refuge for cast and crew. She related how she grew and came to know that it was important for her to respond to others in such a way that the costume room became a place of healing. I found myself wondering whether a law office could be a place of healing?

Certainly, there are times when I know that people have left the office feeling more whole than when they came in. Knowledge is power and even when it's not, just having answers can be very calming. But there are other times when it's clear that the unique style of verbal violence that lawyers wreak on the world is just that, violence. And, there is nothing healing about that to our clients. One of our local judges, Judge Sparks, has often spoke of the primary role of lawyers as conflict managers.

Some of my fellow lawyers would argue that there is no role for "healing" in law, and that even if a law office could be a place of healing it shouldn't. What do you think?

Full post as published by The Law Blawg of Theresa Petrey, PLLC on July 13, 2009 (boomark / email).