**Please note:  If the program reaches capacity, there will be a waitlist for on-site registration. Pending the availability of space, waitlist participants will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis 10 minutes into the start of the program. Thank you.

Lawyers in the nation's capital know that our profession is among the most demanding careers available.  Lawyers love excitement, but the stress of the profession can take its toll, both in our personal lives and in our careers.  The D.C. Bar Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) sees the effects of unrelenting stress every day in its work with D.C. Bar members who are seeking assistance for mental health or substance abuse problems. The D.C. Bar Lawyer Assistance Committee, a standing D.C. Bar committee that oversees the LAP, is offering an introductory mindfulness meditation class to help D.C. Bar members with managing the stress we all face in our day to day lives.

For the same reason many athletes meditate daily and before the big game, lawyers have much to gain from mediation. While the practice of meditation has been used for centuries to help individuals experience greater peace and well-being in their lives, recent studies suggest that it also helps us improve focus, concentration and other neurological functioning. Other studies show that in reducing stress levels, meditation may help mitigate a variety of other stress-related maladies such as depression, high blood pressure, chronic pain and addiction.  

Join us for an introduction to mindfulness meditation by Hugh Byrne, a senior teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. Hugh will introduce us to the fundamentals of mindfulness meditation, review some of the recent research on its benefits in daily life and work, and lead attendees in a guided mediation session. Related literature and CDs of guided meditations will be available for purchase. The session will last 90 minutes and light refreshments will be served.

This “Off the Record” outreach program is sponsored by the D.C. Bar Sections Office and the D.C. Bar Lawyer Assistance Program.

Remarks made during “Off the Record” programs may not be used for publication.

Please Note: the registration fee the day of the event will be $15 for Sections Members and $20 for Non-Sections Members.