Miami Law’s Scott Rogers, Director of the Mindfulness in Law Program, launched a four-part webinar series in late March titled “Mindfulness Practice for the Legal Community During COVID-19.” The sessions were joined by hundreds of lawyers, law students, faculty, and legal professionals from across the state and the country.
The webinar, hosted by Dean and M. Minnette Massey Professor of Law Tony Varona, “offered an opportunity for members of the legal community to connect with and support each other during this challenging time,” Rogers said. Each of the free online sessions began with a short relaxation practice and included the sharing of mindfulness insights, a period of mindfulness practice, and tips for integrating the practice into the busy day.
The University of Miami School of Law’s nationally renowned Mindfulness in Law Program has offered mindfulness training to legal professionals and innovative classes to law students since 2011. The program was founded and is led by Rogers, a leading authority in the field and creator of the first CLE program in the country to integrate mindfulness, science, and law. He is a key collaborator on cutting-edge neuroscience research exploring the efficacy of mindfulness training, especially among professionals working in high-stress, high-consequence environments.
The first session, “Introduction to Mindfulness Techniques – Instruction, Guided Meditation, and Benefits,” was held on March 27, just a few days after Miami Law pivoted its entire curriculum online. It was followed by “Lovingkindness (Metta) Meditation – Connecting in a Time of ‘Social Distancing,’” then “Body Scan – Relaxing with the Breath and Awareness of the Body, Suggestions for Daily Practice,” and finished on April 17, with “Mindful Movement – Practice at Home and Outdoors, Learn the SoBe Mindful Movement Practice.”
Additionally, Dean Tony Varona and Scott Rogers hosted a mindfulness session just for the Miami Law administrative staff. “The pandemic has set in motion such unprecedented challenges that we are all susceptible to becoming overwhelmed and anxious and feeling despair,” Rogers said.
“While much of our focus is on caring for and advancing the intellectual and emotional well-being of Miami Law students, it was clearly of great importance to reach out and attend to the mental health and wellness of our Miami Law family,” Varona said.
The Mindfulness in Law Program continues to enrich the lives of Miami Law’s students, faculty, and staff and serves as a model for law schools across the country as mindfulness programming grows. Dean Varona reflected that “it is a privilege to be of service to the legal community, and to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of ourselves and our colleagues across the profession.”
