Integrative Law Movement

Kim Wright, family-law attorney in the US and founder of the Integrative Law Movement was named a Legal Rebel by the American Bar Association in 2009.

Why?

‘For finding new ways to practise law, represent clients and train the next generation of lawyers.’ She looks beyond the illusion of divided interests and proceeds from the whole instead of from a single person. She therefore also involves other disciplines in finding solutions for clients. We can warmly recommend the fine book she wrote ‘Lawyers as Peacemakers’. In this book she describes the new role of lawyers whereby they primarily adopt the attitude of problem solvers, as facilitating guides while taking the whole spectrum of problems of the client into consideration.

Working together + being receptive to other angles of approach = better results for clients and their (ex) loved-ones…

The new role of lawyers whereby they primarily adopt the attitude of problem solvers, as facilitating guides while taking the whole spectrum of problems of the client into consideration.

The elephant Ellie of Kim Wright represents the symbol for the integrative way of working as the Sufi poet Rumi expressed it in his poem. “Each of us touches one place, and understands the whole in that way.” With our little light we shine on only a small piece of the world we see. If we turn on the big light together, we will be able to see the whole.

The Elephant

The room is dark,
We all go in and touch.

One of us touches a trunk:
a water-pipe kind of creature

Another a leg:
no, it’s a column of a temple
An ear: a fan
A back: a leathery throne

Each of us touches one place
and understands the whole that way.

What we need is light
a single candle suffices
and the differences disappear.