Memphis: Not Just a Barbecue Capital Any More

Memphis doesn't necessarily seem like the kind of place where a legal movement would take hold and flourish, the heart of a new paradigm of law. But that is exactly what seems to be happening.

I became aware of something going on in Memphis through Maureen Holland. Maureen and I met at the International Alliance of Holistic Lawyers conference in 2000 and I was impressed by her thoughtful and conscious way of approaching her employment litigation practice. She was one of the first participants in my first teleclass in 2000 with speakers,Steve Keeva, Susan Daicoff, Carl Michael Rossi, and five others. Later we worked together on the Renaissance Lawyer Society board and became friends. In 2007, Maureen chaired a committee that put on the Lawyers as Peacemakers conference in Memphis. An impressive group of sponsors came on board including two legal aid organizations and a law school, University of Memphis Law.

David Hall and Susan Daicoff offered inspiring keynotes. Tennessee CLE chief and positive psychology specialist, Dave Shearon and Vanderbilt Associate Dean of Students, Julie Sandine came over from Nashville. The attendees were a cross-section of Memphis and area lawyers including judges, legal aid and private bar.

There I met Linda Warren Seely. Linda is one of those pioneers who was doing restorative justice work years ago. She is committed to access to justice and is a professional pro bono coordinator. We interviewed her in July, 2008. Since our interview, Linda has begun campaigning for President of the Tennessee Bar.

Since that October, 2007 Lawyers as Peacemakers conference, there has been a lot of activity in the Comprehensive Law Movement in Memphis. In July, Barbara Davis and I led a Collaborative Law Training with an interdisciplinary group. Linda put it together so that the two legal aid organizations would be able to offer collaborative teams to their low-income clients. There has been restorative justice training, and in April, there will be a therapeutic jurisprudence seminar led by David Wexler.

The videos offer a glimpse into the stories and insight of Maureen and Linda, two leaders in a new paradigm of law.