How Meditation Can Help Your Practice
By: Anthony M. Beneduce, Esq.
Representing injury victims can be taxing. The monkey mind is racing. Managing client appointments, preparing for deadlines and depositions, conducting discovery, and reading hundreds of daily emails…it’s no surprise that 50% of lawyers say they are depressed. What can we do to ensure that these legal advocates can show up to work and thrive?
One possible answer is meditation. Taking time to connect with one’s inner source and allowing the external world to pass by can be an important tool to calm the never-ending stress of a typical workday. It is unbelievable how freeing just one or two 10-20 minutes meditation sessions can be.
My experience with practicing meditation for over 10 years has allowed me to successfully manage stress of work and life and thrive in my legal career. Whether I was prosecuting violent felony cases in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office or more recently representing catastrophically injured clients, having a daily meditation practice has allowed me to be a better advocate by centering myself and my thoughts.
As a child, I never thought I could meditate (and honestly did not even know meditation existed). My mind was always racing, and it felt impossible to silence competing thoughts. However, I was introduced to transcendental meditation (TM) as a young adult studying for the LSAT. Transcendental meditation taught me how to connect to my inner higher consciousness. The practice exposed me to a two-time,
20-minute, daily mantra-based meditation, that was neither forceful nor difficult. It was hard, yet easy.
I remember one day when meditation was particularly useful in my life. Day Two of the New York bar examination. I was in the second half of the day, and my tank was on empty. I was struggling to read the words on the page. My anxiety was telling me that I was destined for failure. Hesitantly, I decided to close my eyes for 10 minutes and meditate. I finished the bar exam 10 minutes early and I passed. I can confidently say that meditation allowed me to pass the bar exam that day.
TM is just one meditation technique but there are many others. I recommend you choose the type you are attracted to and fits with your beliefs and lifestyle. There are many helpful apps and guided meditations available for free to help you get started. Mindful breathing, kundalini yoga, or yogic chanting are other practices to check out!
Whatever you choose to do, don’t miss out on the opportunity to find peace in a world full of endless deadlines, emails, and stress. Take the time for yourself, because you are worth it.
About the Author
Anthony Beneduce is is a trial attorney dedicated to pursuing justice on behalf of injured people. He is currently an associate at Zaremba Brown PLLC, a premier New York City plaintiff’s personal injury law firm. Prior to joining Zaremba Brown, Mr. Beneduce served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, where he was responsible for the prosecution of approximately 400 felony criminal cases. Mr. Beneduce transitioned into private practice in 2019 when he joined Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro, a prominent Long Island plaintiffs personal injury firm. At SSKB, Anthony represented victims of negligence and managed the firm’s childhood sexual abuse practice.
Mr. Beneduce is dedicated to service inside and outside the courtroom. He has served on the Brooklyn Law School Diversity Alumni Admissions Board, currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Puerto Rican Bar Association, and as Secretary of the Young Lawyers Committee for the New York County Lawyers Association. Mr. Beneduce also assists in coaching mock trial teams at Brooklyn Law School. He is very involved with the NLD, and serves as co-chair of the Mental Health Committee.
Anthony Beneduce
Zaremba Brown PLLC
New York, NY
abeneduce@zarembabrown.com
www.zarembabrown.com