Are you happy in the practice of law? Is it because you are complying with the "rule of two"?

After working with a group of lawyers, psychologist and lawyer G. Andrew H. Benjamin noticed that typically the most psychologically healthy shared at least two of these three characteristics:

• Had clients that fit well with their own personality,
• Worked with legal issues that were stimulating to them,
• Either started cases with a sufficient retainer or took them on a pro bono basis.

In his article "Reclaim your practice, reclaim your life" (TRIAL), Benjamin says hundreds of solo practitioners have since used his "rule of two" to assist them in getting "back on track with their values." He further states, "Almost without exception, lawyers who suffer from depression or alcohol abuse have developed habits that violate the rule of two."

Some questions for you:

• In your experience, do you think the "rule of two" is a good assessment of lawyer satisfaction?
• If so, do you think it would apply to lawyers other than solos?
• And, if so, do you think efforts should/could be made in law schools to make students aware of the "rule of two" early on?
• How do you measure up on the "rule of two"?

Image credit: SBA73.

Comments

[Vickie Pynchon]

On the many occasions across the course of a 25-year legal career, others suggested to me that I change my clients (the ACLU say) or change my specialty. I'd had enough different clients in my first five years of practice to know that those would not make a litigation and trial career better for me. I'd done a fair amount of pro bono work; worked for small business and large; represented injured plaintiffs; practiced real estate, intellectual property, personal injury, products liability, medical malpractice, antitrust and unfair competition cases, all in those first five years. What all of these clients and specialties had in common was the adversarial process, endless discovery, unprepared and uncaring judges (20% were GREAT & you know the rest) and fractious colleagues. As I was telling someone just today, if you are a litigator you must LOVE to win, I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE it and I did. Because if winning doesn't give you a THRILL it's just not worth the way the practice shanghais your life. Now, in retrospect, I see that 25 years of practice was my apprenticeship for mediating litigated cases, well worth the years.