My best ideas usually come when I am walking around.
My dog, Lyle, comes to work with me almost every day. I need to walk him so he gets exercise, and I need a break from my office a few times a day. Therefore, we head out on the sidewalk in downtown San Rafael or at our office in San Francisco near North Beach and walk around.
Both of my offices are purposely in great places for walking around.
And I think about my cases as I walk around. Jude Basile, one of the finest trial lawyers in the country, told my class at the Trial Lawyers College in 2012 that some of his best ideas come to him when walking or hiking and thinking about a case. I stole the idea from Jude.
My most creative ideas come when walking around. I can digest the case, narrow the issues, think about how to be creative with discovery or trial presentation, practice voir dire, or an opening or closing. Plus, it invigorates me when I return to work on a case.
The idea of being outside and walking around triggering creativity has been studied and backed by science.
In 2024, Stanford University researchers released a study that found walking boosts creative inspiration, increasing a person’s creative output by an average of 60 percent.
Take advantage of walking and creating to help your clients win.
Paul Nathan, Esq. is a trial and litigation attorney based in Northern California who generally works as co-counsel with other lawyers on their cases. You can reach Paul’s office at 415-635-0411.
