Meeting of the Minds (MOM)
Motion to Recuse

In our last class we discussed Judges, the Canons of Judicial Conduct, Facebook and Judgments. We considered how mindfulness is often referred to as non-judgmental awareness and what that might mean in the context of making decisions--personally and professionally.

We began to explore how the mind that can make wise and compassionate decisions and how becoming emotionally/egoically entangled in a situation can impair decision making. A primary example we considered was how judges on Facebook with lawyer friends can become so caught/interested/distressed by what they read or something that happens that they can violate the rules by engaging in ex-parte communications, creating the impression that a lawyer friend has influence, and making statement that can improperly influence the outcome of a matter.

So too, in our day to day life we can engage in similar conduct--think gossip, having favorites, and taking sides.

Just as it is with judges, so too at times we can become so engaged in the interesting, disturbing, perplexing and unexpected content of our experience that we become emotionally caught and our conduct affected. During these times we begin to "judge" events and people as good and bad--we become "judgmental."

As was astutely noted in class, with awareness of being judgmental (of bias, of prejudice, even of preference) we have a greater capacity to choose our response.

The "Motion to Recuse" assignment asks you to rule on your own motion to recuse yourself as "judge" over your life and everyone else's. It offers a little insight into the understandable and very human reasons why we might become "judgmental" at times. Please read the motion and rule on it. Will you recuse yourself? Feel free to review Rule 2.11 if you need further guidance in making this decision :)

Then, during this week, pay especially close attention to the subtle judgments that may arise, especially in the three situations raised in class:

1. In the choice of dress of your classmates (especially in the professional context).
2. In the things your classmates say in (and out of) class.
3. In the manner by which you side with and against others based on what you hear and observe.

Review the reverse side of the "Motion to Recuse" and write down instances where you notice judgments--toward yourself and others. (A few other examples are provided in the center portion of the handout).

When you notice yourself feeling "judgmental" consider how you may recuse yourself from such situations, and bring a little mindful awareness into the moment--beginning by attending to the breath and noticing the Thoughts, Feelings, and Body Sensations arising in that moment. Remember, there is nothing you actually need to rule on. Note your experience doing so on the exercise log for this week.