Virginia Warren is a lawyer on a mission.

She is not only a lawyer, she is a qualified yoga instructor, author of a book on how to resolve dissatisfaction in the legal profession, and a TedX Speaker. Until 2021, she was a partner in a legal practice in Mornington, Victoria, Australia. Today she runs a practice training lawyers and clients in love-based wisdom, called Lawyers for Love.

Lawyers for Love is currently exploring an alternate platform for individuals that supports the discovery of authentic selves, by using conflict as a catalyst.

It’s fair to say that Virginia is on a mission to bring the wisdom of love to our profession.

Show notes:
[01:52] Virginia recounts her journey into law, from a legal receptionist to law school to becoming a partner at the very same firm.

[04:16] Destiny had more in store for Virginia, in the form of a pair of high heels that led to her downfall, literally, and discovery of yoga to fix her bruised knees and ego.

[5:45] Her passion for yoga evolved into a yoga training diploma and her entrée into the world of ancient philosophy and principles, which she sought to apply to the law.

[9:40] Her next step was to write a book to introduce lawyers to another way of thinking about the mental health problems afflicting the profession. 

[13:22] Virginia has not looked back since transferring out of her legal practice to building her new project, Lawyers for Love.

[14:44] Virginia talks about how we all have unconscious 'rules' we have developed from childhood, often imposed by our family or 'tribe'.  Adopting these rules often leads to confusion and inauthenticity. We can free ourselves by consciously recognising the unconscious rules we carry around with us.

[20:16] Virginia talks about her conflict alchemy philosophy - how as lawyers, we can use the conflicts our clients come to us for as catalysts for recognising and addressing their unconscious rules.

[22:30] Virginia discusses the 'shadow' work she does, which applies to individuals as well as society when we ignore or cast blame on things that actually reflect the parts of ourselves or society that trouble us most but we don't want to accept. Integrating the shadow parts of ourselves validates the self and promotes healing.

[27:32] Conflict and war arise from an inability to accept another perspective. Our current legal system punishes perspectives whereas a loving system honours different perspectives and seeks to teach. 

[30:21] We talk about the modern type of shamanism that Virginia practises in helping lawyers identify their unconscious rules.

[34:55] Lawyers for Love is beta-testing a new platform for lawyers that will allow them to take the ideas and practices into their own legal practice.

[36:12] Virginia tells me that the highest court in Australia has discussed the organic connection Indigenous people have to the land, which is a promises first step to recognising the inter-connectedness of all things. 

For more, visit the episode page on the New Earth lawyer website.