legal sanity

I enjoyed this article from the ABA Journal eReport relating how some 300 associates at McDermott, Will & Emery recently took an improvisational comedy class as part of the firm’s annual retreat. The purpose of the three-hour class was to teach participants “how to think and speak on their feet and work together as a team.” Ultimately, the associates split up by practice group and performed skits with each other. They were asked to think up a product lawyers might use and create a skit advertising it. One group came up with the idea of a monkey that performed due diligence. I think this is a great way to boost team spirit within a firm. The ability to take oneself and the slings and arrows of the typical firm day lightly is a vital skill to cultivate as a lawyer. Seeing the funny side of situations faced throughout the day makes the job less taxing and more humane.