Iowa's Legal Community and El Clasico
When my daughter, Lilly, was about 8 years old, she purchased a book titled “All About Me.” It was a book with questions that she answered about herself, like who made up her family, how tall she was and what she wanted to be when she grew up. One of the questions referred to the holidays that her family celebrated. She asked me one day, “Is ‘El Clasico’ one of our family holidays?”
El Clasico is the soccer game between Spanish soccer rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. It was our family’s “Super Bowl” and we invited our soccer-loving friends, both kids and adults, over to our house to watch the game and enjoy food and beverages. It was something that all of us looked forward to, but Lilly’s question made me realize how much that event was a part of her identity and our family’s story.
I was thinking of this story the other day while discussing attendance at in-person bar association events with a colleague. In the past 18-plus months, we have become extremely comfortable participating in CLEs and meetings via videoconference. What was not to like? We can participate in the comfort of our homes, in comfortable clothing and without shoes. We can multi-task while “listening” to the speaker. It is efficient to participate in these remote events, as we do not have to drive to the event and find a place to park. Similar to Lilly’s question to me about whether “El Clasico” was one of our family’s holidays, in-person events create an identity for us. Attending CLEs, bar association meetings and social events do not only provide us networking opportunities and continuing education. They provide a chance to build community.
I understand that the pandemic forced us to think differently about a lot of things. There was a need to have these events remotely to keep everyone healthy and safe. However, the longer we have gone without these in-person events, the longer I have worried that attorneys, particularly attorneys new to the practice of law, are missing opportunities to build their communities. I think of my own community, which is not just the other attorneys at Whitfield & Eddy, but the judges and other attorneys who I have had the privilege of getting to know both professionally and personally. Those connections run deeper than just having someone with whom to discuss the latest Iowa Supreme Court rulings, but having connections that have supported me in both happy and sad occasions. They have grounded me in some very tough times.
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Traveling around the state, I have had the pleasure of learning about what our local bar associations do to build community. For example, when a lawyer in Dubuque passes away, all the lawyers in Dubuque meet at the courthouse to eulogize the deceased attorney. All attorneys come, regardless of whether they knew the deceased or not. It is a time to celebrate not just the legal career, but also the deceased as a family member, friend and community participant. In the Eighth Judicial District, members hold a semi-annual bench-bar conference and invite all attorneys, judges, court reporters, clerks and court administration to attend. The event is not just about discussing new legal topics, but also about spending time with one another.
The practice of law can be incredibly stressful. Most of the time, we as lawyers deal with people who do not want to see us. Deadlines loom and court rulings do not always go our way. All those things can lead to internalizing the stress of practicing law. We all know the statistics show that lawyers are three times as likely to suffer from depression as any other profession. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among attorneys, and the rate of suicide by lawyers is two to six times higher than the general population.
I see returning to in-person events as a way to build our personal communities back up. I also view growing these communities as a way to deal with the stress that comes with the practice of law. So, when given the chance, I hope to see you at in-person bar association events. While it may not provide the excitement of “El Clasico,” I hope it provides a chance for us to connect and strengthen our communities.?
Questions or Comments?
Contact me, Anjela “Anjie” Shutts, at Whitfield & Eddy, P.L.C. in Des Moines, Iowa via email at [email protected] or phone (515) 288-6041.