New free service: Book briefs podcast
series offers expert advice on one’s practice, personal life

“On a scale of one to 10, what is your satisfaction level at work today?” asks lawyer and businessman George Kaufman, an expert on the subject of balancing personal life and work responsibilities, during a podcast interview that appears online as part of a new, free service for ABA members. Kaufman is author of “The Lawyer’s Guide to Balancing Life and Work, Second Edition.”

The ABA Book Briefs Podcast is a series of audio files that contain interviews, discussion and readings from ABA books, which provide helpful information for one’s everyday life, both in one’s practice and in one’s personal life.

Kaufman continued by asking listeners, “How happy are you today?,” “What would it take to make today a ‘10’?,” and “What steps can you take today” to move in that direction?

If we’re not careful, the practice of law can be overwhelming, he said. We often sacrifice personal time for professional duties, but rarely do the reverse. Lack of personal time can be a stressor that can lead to a shorter life span. Kaufman mentioned four stressors listeners should think about. There are two possibilities for change, institutional change and personal change, the personal being the more easy to effect, said Kaufman. While some recent institutional changes have been positives, such as flex time and part time schedules, there are pressures and issues that continue to loom, such as billable hours and profit margin. “Take care of your body,” urged Kaufman. So often lawyers in a middle of a case will not eat correctly, he continued. Finally, “take care of your mind.”

The featured programs in the podcast series run about 10 to 15 minutes long, and are released monthly. ABA members may subscribe to the series for free, and get automatic updates via either an online service or a stand-alone program such as iTunes. Individual programs are also available for download. The ABA Book Briefs Podcast Web page includes links to a number of subscription options.

Other early topics of the series include the new e-discovery rules and how associates in a law firm can better equip themselves to succeed.

Back to top