I just finished running the World TCS 10k run in Bangalore. It was a fantastic run with more than 10,000 people participating and as I was running past our beautiful high court building and grounds I started thinking to myself - why don't lawyers run?
Let me rephrase this - why don't Bangalore lawyers run? Of course, you do have a few stray lawyers running regularly in Bangalore but running has not really taken off in the legal community the way it has become a big sport with the techies for example. Running the TCS run both this year and last year and running for most of last year made me realise what a wonderful and free sport running is. I was never a runner, having never run before, having never played any sport before and actually was even averse to sport! But I got introduced to Runners High, a fantastic runners group in Bangalore which showed me that anyone can run if they want to.
Running is one of the most inclusive and equalising activities I know. Which makes it particularly important for the legal community. The legal community is so obsessed with maintaining hierarchy - senior lawyers do not socialise with junior lawyers, high court judges do not sit with district court judges and men and women from the Bar rarely hang out together. You do not see lawyers and judges interacting socially with paralegal staff, clerks, stenos, court officers, interns and students. Atleast the legal community in India does not know how to interact with each other in any other way and we reproduce the same oppressive hierarchies in our practice.Sport is a great way to break such hierarchies and barriers. Sometime ago, the Delhi and Bangalore law firms started inter-law firm cricket matches. This was followed by the a Football tournament in Bangalore for law firms. Are they inclusive? Of course not. They are largely men's teams, with very few token women participating, if at all. They are only open to lawyers working in large law firms, leaving out the whole sections of individual practitioners, litigators, civil society lawyers, staff and judges. And of course they would leave out all those who are not sporty enough or who do not know how to play football and cricket. Senior Counsels and Judges are called to inaugurate the event and for giving away prizes, never participating themselves.
Running does not have any of these barriers. You do not need any expertise to run. If there was a law run which had men, women, senior citizens, children, people with disabilities, lawyers, judges, civil society lawyers, court staff, students, interns and clerks participating, I am sure it would not only be a great day out in the park, but would also change the stodgy and conservative way our profession is practised. Running is an equaliser, like no other sport. After yesterday's run, random people came up and spoke to me about their run, and we chatted about the route, our timing etc. It was so exhilarating to be able to share one's triumphs and pains with a fellow runner who understands them and as Murakami put it so beautifully in his piece in the New Yorker, that there's a feeling of solidarity and unity that carries you all the way to the finish line!
And finally, running is a great way to de-stress! It's such a great way to forget about pestering clients, bad days in court and missed interim order opportunities. Nothing offers fresh perspective than a run in the park and It also increases productivity!We need something that brings about this feeling of true solidarity and unity, and what better way then a law run?
