Mental Health and Philosophy for Lawyers

The Wellington Branch of the NZ Law Society invite you to a lunchtime seminar with Daniel Kalderimis KC in conversation with Charlotte Griffin.

In this seminar Daniel will outline his experiences and thinking that have led him to write the best-selling book Zest: Climbing from Depression to Philosophy, which Unity Books describes as “a beautifully written series of essays…that explore philosophy and art and how they can help offer pathways into a healthier frame of mind”.

Charlotte will then join Daniel in conversation, focusing on mental health in legal practice, including the many unseen impacts on people’s lives and within the profession, and why seeking help early is so important. This will open into time for questions from those attending. The seminar is available for in-person attendance (with a light lunch to follow) as well as online participation.

In this seminar you will have the opportunity to explore and consider how:

· mental health issues show up in legal practice, and some ways of responding

· philosophy can be used to alleviate some of the stress of legal practice and life in general

· our difficult experiences can be used to develop greater empathy and connection with others

About the presenters:

Daniel Kalderimis KC is a barrister who lives in Wellington with his wife and three daughters. He has lived in New York and London, taught at Columbia University, and practises internationally. With degrees in law, English and philosophy, he has always been interested in unravelling the layers of meaning behind ordinary things. His book Zest is about what happened when that search, in his own life, became pressing rather than a pastime.

Charlotte Griffin is a barrister and a District Inspector for Mental Health for the Wellington/Wairarapa Region. As a District Inspector, she provides legal advice to and investigates complaints from people across the region subject to compulsory treatment under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992. Charlotte’s interest in mental health and the law stems from her own family experience and the work/life strains for practitioners pursuing a “traditional” litigation career. In 2018 and 2019, Charlotte practised remotely from Switzerland while raising a new baby and her older son on a diplomatic posting prior to the remote working norms arising from Covid 19. This experience led Charlotte to conceive of a remote chambers of barristers to support the well-being, needs, and advancement of women at all stages of working life lead at the Independent Bar, with less institutional barriers to sole practice. In 2020, she founded Kate Sheppard Chambers with Isabella Clarke, now Aotearoa’s third largest set of chambers supporting flexible working for its barristers practising nationwide in regions from Whangārei to Waihōpai/Invercargill.