What is Right Brain Law?

“Right Brain Law” alludes to the distinction between the two hemispheres of the brain. The left hemisphere specializes in things like logic, analysis, and process. The right hemisphere, in contrast, is holistic, creative, empathic, and intuitive.

Trends in the legal industry such as collaborative and holistic law as well as popular books such as Dan Pink’s 2007 book “A Whole New Mind” have advocated greater emphasis on right brain skills in the broader cultural  dialogue. Many, such as Dan Pink, have argued that the transition is already underway. But most would agree that the legal industry is long overdue and that the need for such changes is really a no-brainer (pun intended!) because just about any lawyer, or, more importantly, anyone who’s ever interacted with a lawyer will tell you that lawyers are long on logic and analysis and short on empathy, intuition, and creativity.

Hopefully more than just another blog on collaborative or holistic law, or one about how lawyers need to develop better soft skills (though, no doubt, they do!), Right Brain Law is an attempt to advocate for a move from an unflinching focus upon left brain skills to acknowledgement, acceptance, and even integration of right brain skills. Topics of particular interest are those which, perhaps, have not seen as much traction in the current practice of law or legal education such as authentic emotional leadership, innovation, and creativity.

While I’m not so egotistical as to believe that I can single-handedly change the profession, I hope to, at least, provide a forum in which those ideas can be further explored and expanded.