IN THIS SECTION:
highlights
simple steps
ethics
news & events
EXPERIENCED CIRCLE MEMBERS AND
COACHES SERVE AS FACILITATORS
WHY GROUPS WORK
I recently signed up for a
Weight Watchers class after
spending a year using only the
online tools. I found that people in the
class seemed to enjoy telling their stories and
listening to the stories of others. It struck me that, just
as with the women lawyers in the rainmaking circles, the information they needed was readily available online. But the sharing
of experiences and, if I may say it, the support system that people
developed in a 30-minute Weight Watchers class, added something extra to reinforce the information.
The same can be said for groups such as Alcoholics
Anonymous, where people attend meetings regularly and even
have “sponsors” who meet with people one-on-one to help
them stay on track. I suppose that bar associations’ mentor-
ing programs provide the equivalent of a
sponsor, but no one calls their mentor at 3:00 a.m. when they
are behind on a brief.
BY K. WILLIAM GIBSON
kwg@gibsonmediation.com
K. William Gibson is a personal injury lawyer and arbitrator in Clackamas, Ore. He is the author of
How to Build and Manage a Personal Injury Practice and the editor of Flying Solo: A Survival Guide
for the Solo and Small Firm Lawyer.
