On Well-Being. Adults need screen time limits too

• Author: Jeena Cho
• Pages: 10-11

Inter Alia | ON WELL-BEING

requirements for diverse stafng. That

same year, the ABA House of Dele-

gates passed Resolution 113, calling on

corporate legal departments to use their

purchasing power to increase economic

opportunities for diverse attorneys. In

2019, a group of 200-plus GCs signed

an open letter to law rm partners

warning that they planned to direct

business to rms “that manifest results

with respect to diversity and inclusion,”

noting that “partnership classes remain

largely male and largely white.” Authors

of the open letter pondered whether

“you and your partners value diversity

enough to put into place programs to

develop, promote and retain talented

and diverse attorneys.”

That certainly is the million-dollar

question that has resonated for decades,

as law remains one of the least inclu-

sive professions in America. The arcane

partnership structure has made chang-

ing the paradigm toward inclusion

painstakingly difcult. However, the

myriad consultants, toolkits, research

and training opportunities in this area

indicates that where there’s a will,

there’s a way.

The business case for diversity has

already been made, proved by every

study done on the subject, including

seminal research by McKinsey & Co.

that shows the correlation between

ethnic and cultural diversity and prof-

itability. Similarly, a study by market

research house Acritas found that law

rms with “very diverse teams” received

a 25% greater share of legal spending

than nondiverse teams.

Savvy rms understand that diversity

not only leads to better outcomes, but

can earn more business.

But not everyone is receptive to that

message. Entrenched tribal patronage

has meant that many in charge are will-

ing to act against interest by failing to

take steps to enact real change. That’s

certainly one way to go—but it’s a

strategy that may not work for the long

game. Q

Liane Jackson is an attorney and

assistant managing editor at the ABA

Journal.

One of the surprising things I

discovered during a month-

long silent meditation

retreat was how addicted

I was to my iPhone. It’s a rare event to

go an entire month without any digital

technology—free from screens and free

from the constant 24/7 pings and buzz-

es. I frequently caught myself habitually

reaching for my iPhone only to realize

it wasn’t on me. It took a week or so

before the phantom vibration of the

phone faded.

Many lawyers struggle to nd a

healthy work-life balance. I often hear

lawyers lament that they’re never fully

present—one lawyer shared that she felt

as though she was constantly failing.

“When I’m at the ofce, I’m thinking

about my kids, and when I’m with my

kids, I’m glued to work email.”

While there is no easy answer for

how to live mindfully in the hypercon-

nected digital world, there are some

practices we can incorporate into our

lives to create a healthier relationship

with digital technology.

ON WELL-BEING

Adults

Need

Screen

Time

Limits Too

Create a healthy relationship

with digital technology

BY JEENA CHO

Photo courtesy of JC Law Group

Practice the pause

Mindfulness is the ability to add a mo-

ment of pause between the stimulus and

your habitual reaction. When it comes

to smartphones, we often grab them

out of habit without pausing to explore

why. Often, we reach for the smart-

phone because of boredom, loneliness,

wanting to escape from whatever is

happening or simply out of habit.

The next time you catch yourself

reaching for your phone, ask yourself

why. Is there a legitimate reason for

checking your phone? Or is it simply an

old habitual behavior?

Intentionally unplug

When is the last time you intentionally

“unplugged” from your digital device?

I’ve found that carving out regularly

scheduled time where I give myself an

opportunity to unplug is helpful in

allowing me to better connect with my

family as well as myself.

There are many pockets of time

where you can institute “unplugged”

time. Some people observe the “digital

sabbath” turning off the phone and

laptop on Saturday evening and not

turning them on again until Sunday

evening, while others practice no screen

time during meals.

If you’re like most lawyers and al-

ways eat lunch at your desk, looking at

a screen, take yourself out to lunch once

a week where you don’t look at your

smartphone.

New morning routine

The other pocket of time where you

may consider unplugging is in the

morning, immediately after you wake

up. Chances are, you check your email

rst thing in the morning. While there

may be times when this is necessary, it’s

not a habit that is conducive to reduc-

ing stress.

By checking your email rst thing,

you are allowing other people to set the

agenda for the day—letting them dictate

what’s important. Instead of email, ll

the rst part of your day with activities

that will help to create calm.

This need not take long. You can

spend the rst ve minutes of your day

ABA JOURNAL | WINTER 2019-2020

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