Recipe for a Connected Future

Traditional judicial education has focused mainly on the “substantive” aspects of judging, such as procedure, statutes, and case law, with little focus on the emotional/human relations aspects of judging.  As Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor wrote in My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, “Most of us think of ourselves as thinking creatures that feel, but we are actually feeling creatures that think.”  Ignoring this reality is unkind to judicial officers and detrimental to their professional conduct, especially in the area of judicial demeanor as set forth in the Model Code of Judicial Conduct Rules 1.2, 2.2, and 2.8. Thought Kitchen’s work is grounded in the belief that addressing the emotional experience of judging results in judicial officers who are not only healthier and happier, but who also make better decisions and behave in a way that is more aligned with the Model Code of Judicial Conduct.  This belief is supported by a growing body of research led by professor and scholar of judicial temperament, Terry Maroney of Vanderbilt University.  The course materials also include discussion of 2017’s The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change, published by the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being as well as 2020’s Stress and Resiliency in the U.S. Judiciary, published in Journal of the Professional Lawyer.

This course, An Introduction to the Brahmavihāras: For Lawyers, Law Students, & Judicial Officers, is the creative project developed for Jill Carnell's Master of Arts in Mindfulness Studies thesis project, published in September 2021. It consists of seven asynchronous modules, each of which includes a video teaching, formal practice (guided audio meditation), informal practice ideas, written journal prompts, and an online space to connect and share with other participants, all intended to support learning and practice. Module 1: Introduction & grounding practice Module 2: Mettā [kindness] Module 3: Self-compassion Module 4: Karunā [compassion] Module 5: Muditā [joy] Module 6: Upekkhā [equanimity] Module 7: Supporting ongoing practice The reason that Jill chose this topic for her thesis project is that in reviewing the literature about mindfulness and lawyers, law students, and judicial officers, there was quite a bit about the benefits of improving concentration and reducing stress, but very little about the Buddhist psychology teachings of the heart, apart from mettā, kindness. Since the assignment was to find a gap for her project to address, this project arose. Now, in September 2023, Jill has updated it a bit, especially in adding closed captions and including transcripts of audio and video recordings, for re-release. This course is appropriate for anyone who wants to explore these teachings at their own pace. It is freely offered. Thought Kitchen’s work is grounded in the belief that addressing the emotional experience of judging results in judicial officers who are not only healthier and happier, but who also make better decisions and behave in a way that is more aligned with the Model Code of Judicial Conduct.  This belief is supported by a growing body of research led by professor and scholar of judicial temperament, Terry Maroney of Vanderbilt University.  The course materials also include discussion of 2017’s The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change, published by the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being as well as 2020’s Stress and Resiliency in the U.S. Judiciary, published in Journal of the Professional Lawyer.