By: Jacqueline Nolan-Haley
The personal unhappiness of lawyers, coupled with the negative
public perceptions of the legal profession as a whole, has prompted
a search for legal reform. In “Finding Interior Peace in the
Ordinary Practice of Law: Wisdom from the Spiritual Tradition of
St. Teresa of Avila,” Professor Jacqueline Nolan-Hanley suggests
St. Teresa’s contemplative model as a way to combat this personal
unhappiness, as well as to improve how lawyers practice law.
After providing a brief historical background of St. Teresa’s
life and accomplishments, this Article discusses the relevance of
St. Teresa’s contemplative model to today’s legal profession.
The contemplative model is founded in prayer. To St. Teresa,
the key to self-knowledge and humility is to look outside of
ourselves, toward God, by engaging in the active practice of
prayer. In addition, this Article suggests two areas in particular
where the contemplative model may improve the practice of law: (1)
to improve client counseling and (2) to encourage more
problem-solving and peace-making in the practice of law. This
Article concludes that the contemplative model has the potential to
help lawyers lead more balanced lives, with the freedom to
incorporate a faith-filled perspective in their work.