I write because I have stories to tell. As a shy young girl, I was afraid to talk to people, but I could write. I poured my heart onto paper, creating new worlds for myself and occasionally for my teachers who encouraged me to write more.

Later, I became a lawyer who integrated peacemaking and healing into my divorce practice. I was asked to teach other lawyers to transform their practices. It was hard for most lawyers to picture a new way of being, but the stories of how I practiced helped them to see a path for their own practices. Stories became the tools of my trade, the way I showed them how they could be problem-solvers and create their own worlds.

My own stories didn’t have the depth and breadth of experience that would apply to all law practices. I needed more stories to inspire my growing audience. I gave up my law practice and became a nomad — for eight years. I have traveled around the world, having adventures and meeting lawyers who have found new ways of practicing, against all odds. I’ve chronicled the development of a movement of peacemaking lawyers, sharing the stories of pioneers and trailblazers on five continents.

Those stories led to two books for the American Bar Association. A third book is on the way. I feel blessed to have an audience for my stories and to write stories that inspire and empower lawyers to practice in new peacemaking ways.

www.jkimwright.com