When you are able to see beyond the
“box” of litigation and really listen to your
clients, all kinds of innovative solutions
become available,” says Donison, founder
of Donison Law Firm PLLC in Phoenix.
“Anything that allows you to tap your own
creativity will improve your critical think-
ing because it expands your world view.
Having a narrow focus or isolated thought
process is not the best breeding ground for
seeing the ‘big picture,’ the archetypes of
a case, or the broader ramifications of an
argument.”
Letting the brain
untangle issues
— Marcy Miranda Janes
Sculpture category winner
“In my own art, I use the process to let my
brain work on untangling legal issues and
to come up with creative solutions to problems,” says Janes, a Tucson attorney. “The
art that I do is very meditative and frees up
my thinking. There is a cadence and progression that is kind of like making music,
and it creates a frame of mind conducive to
problem solving.”
Seeking new legal
approaches
—Joel Sannes
Fiction category winner
Sannes, co-owner of the Scottsdale law firm
Slaton & Sannes, had this to say about the
arts promoting critical thinking: “The attorney who is too certain about her or his
knowledge is in trouble. Attorneys should
always look for new ways of approaching
a legal problem. Being exposed to diverse
viewpoints equips the mind with a toolbox
for solving problems and also helps place
legal problems in a larger context.”
Developing broader
litigation perspectives
— Deborah Wolfe
Painting category winner
The paintings of Wolfe, who now heads up
her firm in San Diego, focus on the legal
world, similar to Elkins’ lawyer–poets.
“I find that since I have begun painting
in earnest, as a professional artist, my creative mind as a trial lawyer has improved,”
says Wolfe. “Because of the fact that my left
brain can ‘rest’ during the time when I am
A professional writer all of her life, ORIANA PARKER has written about the arts for numerous
local, regional and national publications, including the Arizona Republic, ArtNews, Art & Antiques,
and even Arizona Attorney Magazine. Her website is www.orianaparker.com.
