Sharing the Gift of Vulnerability

• Pages: 32-33
• Date: 01 January 2023
• Author: Joseph P. Beckman
• Subject Matter: Derecho Civil

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS

By Joseph P. Beckman, Litigation News Ass ociate Ed itor

Sharing the Gift of Vulnerability

y dad had a dry (almost arid) sense of

humor, often adding interesting observations

on common axioms. For example, at the end

of “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” he

would add, “unless of course the old dog

wants to learn them.” A recent experience reminded me of the

value of his sometimes quirky perspective.

I was handling a transactional matter that required care-

ful sequencing of document delivery to ensure that all com-

ponent parts fell into place in the right order. If something

was out of order, a part of the transaction might get derailed,

creating far more work than necessary for all involved. I was

at the ofce late in the evening, then arrived early the next

morning. After getting my le in order for my rst call of the

day, I gave the document I was working on the evening before

a “fresh-eye review.”

This review is on paper as opposed to on my screen. The

importance of “moving off the keyboard” was beaten into

me back when it was mandatory to learn the skill of dictating

a letter. This was in the late 1980s at a time when I was one

of ve lawyers in a 300-lawyer rm with a computer on my

desk. These days my younger colleagues tease me endlessly

about how I embrace new technology yet cling to certain “old

school” habits like three-ring binders and handwritten edits.

Anyway, I handed my document edits to a bright new

legal assistant who is also an aspiring law student. This is an

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32 | ABA LITIGATION SECTIO N WINTER 2023 • VOL. 48 N O. 2

Published in Litigation News Volume 48, Number 2, Winter 2023. © 2023 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or

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