What We're All About
The Vision of My Lawyer Friend
We envision a world in which people consciously live to be of benefit to one another and cause each other no harm; a world where friends live life together, laugh together, cry together, work together, and play together. We want to live in a world in which conversation is chosen over debate, where forgiveness is chosen over judgment, and where love guides decisions.
The Purpose of My Lawyer Friend
The purpose of My Lawyer Friend is to serve the needs of folks who want to be able to contact a lawyer friend who knows them and their life circumstances whenever they have a legal question, need assistance with a legal matter, or just want to talk about life stuff. And to offer that service at a rate and in a way that takes into consideration their life situation and available resources.
My Lawyer Friend Guiding Values & Principles
We value respect, honesty, compassion, ethics, learning, open-mindedness, adaptability, kindness, and fun in our personal and professional endeavors. We believe the conscious pursuit of integrity is necessary for the creation of meaningful, sustainable relationships, effective legal representation, and beneficial business endeavors.
We value frank, forthcoming conversation spoken with kindness even when such communication is uncomfortable. We believe dialogue (communication utilizing active, empathetic listening) can facilitate understanding, learning, and altered perspective.
In all matters personal and professional, we strive to consider the axiom “erit bonum facere, et non nocere” – be of benefit and cause no harm.
Tenets of My Lawyer Friend
In service of our Vision and the Purpose of My Lawyer Friend, we choose to engage relationship with folks in accordance with the following tenets:
We just see US, not US v. THEM
We think working as collaborative co-creators in a challenging situation is of greater benefit to folks, and the world, than approaching others as adversaries.
We think fairness is a subjective matter of perspective, not an objective fact.
We believe responsibility is a recognition of cause and effect, not a determination of fault or blame.
We like it when accountability is a matter of voluntary personal submission, not an imposed decree.
We believe conflict is a normal part of being a human being that often reveals diversity of perspective, and we think addressing conflict in a restorative manner can result in improved understanding, collaborative decision-making, and peaceful community.
In our experience, respect says more about the character of the person showing respect than that of the person to whom respect is shown.
We believe mistakes, failures, and being wrong can be constructive means of learning and growth.
We approach the role of attorney as that of legal counsel, guide, and facilitator, which includes providing information, analysis, and advice to clients to help ensure their actions comport with applicable law, and reflect and support their vision, values, and principles. We encourage clients to recognize their role in developing the structure, systems, and culture reflected in their organizations and agreements, and fully engage a collaborative, co-creative approach to agreement.
