The Mindful Lawyer CPD Series

Lawyers, the time has come to evaluate and care for your most important asset — YOU. Lawyers are remarkably efficient at taking care of clients, transactions, cases, files, and juggling all of the pressures that come along with impossible deadlines, high-stake deals and endless responsibilities.

More often than not, we can easily disconnect from the “person” at the centre of this storm. Indulge in guilt-free time away from your demanding work life to reconnect with essential time management, relaxation, and emotional intelligence skills. Most importantly, connect with your colleagues and earn those elusive professionalism credits while nourishing your soul.

Take part in the Mindful Lawyer Series from the OBA and reap the benefits in your professional and personal life. Archived video from past Mindful Lawyer CPD programs can be found below. The OBA will also continue to respond to members' needs and design upcoming Mindful Lawyer CPD programs accordingly.

Archived Video

Five Critical Steps to Success and Happiness In Law

In our very first Mindful Lawyer CPD Series, Professor Larry Krieger shared his research and insights into what makes lawyers happy.  Traditional markers of success do not lead to true happiness, while specific personal factors do.  Now, Professor Krieger will share new insights from modern science that expand this foundation and provide a major boost to our mental health and wellness journey.  

Module 20

Elevating Morale and Fostering Resilience in Today's Climate

Watch our expert panel provide exclusive insight on how to elevate and maintain morale in remote work environments and flex your resilience muscles by fostering communication and collaboration to engage and better support your team.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

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Mindful Awareness and Meditation Tools to Manage Stress and Improve Performance

MINDmgt will introduce meditation and mindful awareness as tools to manage stress, and improve corporate and personal performance. From clarifying common misconceptions about meditation to exploring the many benefits - including increased productivity, reduced anxiety and improved sleep - this presentation is designed to introduce meditation and mindful awareness in a simple straightforward manner.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 19

Sleep Better, Live Better, Work Better

Are you sleep deprived? Whether it’s a big file at work, personal matters or burning the midnight oil, sleep deprivation affects your psychological state and mental health.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 18

Recognizing and Recovery from Anxiety, Depression and Addiction

Protecting your mental health and the mental health of your colleagues, friends and family is important for every lawyer. 

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 17

Module 17

Resiliency & Self-Care: Complex Issues, Clear Solutions

You will be introduced to psychophysiological self-regulation, management of stress, anxiety, insomnia, pain, uncomfortable emotional states, ways to reduce cravings, depression and anxiety, and the “Top Ten” natural ways to lower everyday stress and prevent “burnout”.

Make a great day every day with amazing and original brain-based strategies you can use immediately. Boost achievement with exceptional, powerful tools.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

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Enhance Your Performance

This session will help you refocus on your personal development and growth in your legal career. Discover strategies that will enhance your performance in the office and in your personal life. Our expert speaker will guide you through proven techniques that will help you increase efficiencies and lead you to peak performance. Also, we will explore how to build a high performing culture in your firm or organization. Join us!

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 16

Module 16

Stress Management

Lawyers are under significant amounts of stress. How can you best navigate your way through challenging obstacles and hurdles in your professional life?

In stressful situations, individuals often respond automatically with a conservative approach by using a solution that has worked in the past. That is often not constructive these days.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 15

Module 15

Wake Up Call: Tune Up Your Wellness

Most of us work very hard to excel in our professional and personal lives, leaving our individual wellness at the bottom of our checklist. We are flooded with messages about what we need to do in order to live a longer, happier, healthier life. How can you filter though this noise to make sense of the right approach for you? When we are at our most optimal health and well-being, we can better service our clients and be at the top of our professional game.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 14

Module 14

Making the Most of Your Valuable Time

Our lives are increasingly busy and it often seems like we don’t have enough time in our day. Explore how you can change your relationship with time. Arrive at a place where you are in control of your time, rather than being a slave to your to-do list.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 13

Module 13

Wake Up Call: Tune Up Your Wellness

Most of us work very hard to excel in our professional and personal lives, leaving our individual wellness at the bottom of our checklist. We are flooded with messages about what we need to do in order to live a longer, happier, healthier life. How can you filter though this noise to make sense of the right approach for you? When we are at our most optimal health and well-being, we can better service our clients and be at the top of our professional game.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 12

Module 12

Dealing with Difficult Personalities

Explore how your own cognitive biases form your perceptions, and at times, create illogical shortcuts and errors. Discover proven conflict resolution techniques which can help you minimize friction before it turns into a disagreement, as well as, various resolution styles to approach different conflict situations. Identify your individual communication style and access relevant resources to help manage your reaction to criticism.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 11

Module 11

Thriving in a Competitive Work Environment: Resilience Training for Lawyers

In this interactive training program, you will experience easily implemented mindfulness skills which allow you to step out of the stress cycle and to use your energy to be more productive, more adaptable and more of who you are. Learn what resilient lawyers do differently and leave equipped with practical strategies to thrive in your personal and professional life.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 10

Module 10

Technology and Its Distractions: Reducing Digital Overload

Email, phone, and social media notifications compete for our attention throughout the day. How can you manage these distractions and minimize the impact of anxiety and stress caused by the use of distracting technology? Understand the effects of multitasking on stress and hear advice on how to improve your concentration and be present and hear about the research that neuroscience has given us on the benefits of mindfulness.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 9

Module 9

Avoid Burnout: Train for Resilience

Most lawyers have experienced burnout at some point in their career.  Learn how to identify the signs early on, develop an organized and proactive approach to managing your professional life and start to train for resilience in every aspect of your life. 

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 8

Module 8

Response Under Pressure

Tackle counterproductive emotions and gain best practices on how to manage stress.  Identify triggers, cultivate awareness and form effective coping strategies for yourself and your challenging clients and colleagues. 

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 7

Module 7

Implement a Restorative Action Plan

Remember to make time to care for your most important asset - YOU!  Gain time management strategies, identify and implement important sleep care habits and obtain insight into essential simple self care regimens.  Reacquaint yourself with the importance of gratitude and mindfulness habits.  Plus, brush up on personal fitness goals, the convenience and health benefits of the "eat clean" principles, discover lifestyle changes that raise your energy, vitality and help redefine you.  Join us for this fun and interactive session!

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 6

Module 6

Improving Your Performance: Managing Stress with Proper Nutrition

Most lawyers encounter stress as part of their daily routine but you don’t have to let it impact your health or your work performance. Don’t let too much work and poor eating habits overwhelm your physical health. Hear from a leading nutritionist to gain strategies to help your body cope with your daily stresses. Find out how the right diet can help boost your immune system, increase your energy and reduce your stress level.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 5

Module 5

Support Networks for Lawyers Who Work Alone

Increasingly lawyers are “going solo” whether in private practice, as corporate counsel or in other alternative positions. There are great rewards in doing so – you get to be your own boss, take control of your daily schedule and reap the profits as well. But going solo also presents specific challenges, can be isolating, lonely and can take a toll on your mental health. In this session, you will gain strategies for building a support network and creating meaningful connections to help you be a happier solo practitioner.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 4

Module 4

Returning to Work after a Mental Health Leave: Re-entry Support

Have you recently taken a leave from work for mental illness? Gain the coping strategies you need to re-integrate into the workforce, protect your reputation and work-life balance once you return to work. You will also get a greater understanding of how to deal with stigma, your colleagues and your own internal prejudices about the illness and what you should ask for in terms of re-entry support.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 3

Module 3

Managing Stress, Thriving at Work and Achieving a Healthy and Balanced Lifestyle

Let’s face it - the life of a lawyer is often stressful. Stress can actually help us meet the sudden demands that we face as busy lawyers. However, too much stress can take its toll on our physical, mental and emotional well-being. Chronic stress can affect our personal lives and our ability to serve our clients. Find out techniques to help you manage your time, create work life balance and reduce and deal with stress to enhance your performance in the practice of law.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 2

Module 2

Mental illness and the Legal Profession: Finding and Providing Support

Recent studies have shown that lawyers are about four times more likely to suffer from mental illness than the general population. After law school, a significant proportion of law students have been found to suffer from depression. What should law schools, legal associations, law firms and the legal profession in general be doing to eliminate stigma and support those who are suffering? How can you recognize the signs of mental illness in your colleagues, or in yourself? What can or should you do to help? How does mental illness impact co-workers and loved ones? Join us for this important discussion to find out more and to be part of the solution.

Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)

Module 1

Module 1

Re-setting Your Priorities: How Can You Be a Happier Lawyer?

  • • Interactive exercise: Evaluating your primary motivations, values and goals
  • • Scientific research on lawyers and law students vs. the general population
  • • Modern research on psychological needs and happiness
  • • Strategies for achieving personal satisfaction in your work
  • • What does integrity have to do with your physical and psychological heath
  • Register: ARCHIVED VIDEO (Complimentary for OBA members)