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Several years ago, when I led a law school Professional Development Office, the Dean assigned a team-building exercise to the senior administrators. We were to write our autobiographies to share with one another. We oversaw distinct areas and had divergent experiences, education, geographic and economic backgrounds. However, when we shared our biographies with one another, nearly all of us had some sort of artistic endeavor in our backgrounds: writer, singer, actor, or band member. This is not surprising as administration is, inherently, an
artistic endeavor.
Our role in law school or law firm administration is broad in scope. Legal professional development is more than training. Our organizations need us to understand their goals, identify what they need to grow and succeed, and then design and implement plans to meet those goals.
They need our skill and ingenuity. They need us to create. It is through harnessing the creative process that we can identify and solve problems and provide transformative solutions.
Start with discovery, not with the solution. Prolific horror novelist, Stephen King, describes his process of writing as “following his story to often unexpected conclusions.” His writing process is less planning and more discovery. When we investigate solutions for our organizations, we can begin by leaning into learning and discovery. This first step in the creative process involves giving into our curiosity a seeking inspiration through exploration. This is the time to conduct internet research, attend conferences, and review existing resources from NALP or others in our field.
"Inspiration is the beginning of creation, but the work that follows is what transforms an idea into a work of art."
