I know, I know cliche, right? An attorney who reads FOR FUN?! Attorneys read all day for work. Why would an attorney want to continue to read after that?

For me, reading is not just a way to gain extensive knowledge about the law; it is also an escape. It can transport me to a fantasy world with dragons. It can allow me to solve an age-old mystery with Agatha Christie. Or it can show me a couple falling hopelessly in love. Whether it is for work or for fun, reading is not a task from which I grow tired.

The key to reading for fun after a full day of reading for work is switching up the content. Personally, I love mystery, thriller, romance, and fantasy novels. I can read any genre for fun, but these are the ones that I gravitate to the most. The genres are all vastly different from the content that I read for work.

While I would love a motion for summary judgement to include a flying dragon, I doubt it will ever happen. That is one way that reading for fun stays interesting, even after reading motions and discovery all day.

Reading as a hobby has been very beneficial to me as an attorney. It is beneficial in ways other people may not immediately perceive. Reading novels has shown me perspectives and ways of thinking I might not have otherwise considered.

For example, a World War II historical fiction novel will allow me to stand in the shoes of a woman working while her husband is at war. Such a novel will describe her experiences, the discrimination she experiences, and a different sort of empowerment she feels from working outside the home as opposed to inside the home. The perspective gained is one I would not otherwise  know, especially as a woman born in the 1990s and not living through World War II.

Reading for fun makes me a better attorney because it allows me to understand different perspectives. Through the experiences of others, I am better able to appreciate them without the personal experience.

The knowledge that I gain from understanding multiple perspectives allows me to better connect with clients and other participants  in the legal process. Reading from the perspectives of others has shown me how to zoom out and view a case from the outside, not just as an insurance defense attorney. Outside reading not only improves my legal skills, but the escape it provides also benefits my mental health.

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