Though I stopped practicing law in 2000 (after eight
years, including five working with children going through the foster care
system), I stay connected to the law by teaching a course called The Likeable
Lawyer. It sounds cute, but the basic principles are the same as my community
engagement work—listen to others and meet their needs to build better
relationships (and if you are a lawyer, become more persuasive).
Simply, we are all more effective when we change the
nature of our conversations to build trust and new relationships.