Claire E. Parsons

I presented a CLE for the Arkansas Bar Convention this summer which summarized the four meditation practices I teach in my book. This article offers an overview of my history with meditation and how I can to start teaching it. Meditation fundamentally changed the way I relate to life and saved my law practice. In this article, I explain the impact it had on my mental health and why I teach the practice to other lawyers.

A brief explanation of the way that mindfulness practices can help with stress management and reduction. The practice itself doesn't create instant calm, but rather helps create a new response to stress.

Article is available in the February, 2024 edition at pages 10-11. It discusses the ways that writing offers mental health benefits to lawyers.

Why are we hearing so much about mindfulness for lawyers? What is compassion? Why did Claire use the word "badass" in her book about mindfulness and compassion? It's because they are powerful and that's how they made her feel. Learn more about what mindfulness and compassion can offer you and why Claire's new book can you help you understand both better and start a practice of your own.

A discussion of Supreme Court student speech precedents and and an analysis of lower court decisions relating to First Amendment limits on school regulation of off-campus student speech. This article was published just a week after but drafted before the Supreme Court's decision in Mahanoy Area Sch. Dist. v. B.L., decided on June 23, 2021.

A short article offering tips and inspiration for attorneys interested in posting content on LinkedIn and discussing my bestselling book #Networked which I co-authored with 19 other women lawyers about our use of LinkedIn to market and network during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article was written with lawyer-moms in mind because it was published in partnership with MothersEsquire, but almost anyone can relate. Messiness does not preclude you from gaining benefits from mindfulness. Messiness is why we need mindfulness and true mindfulness can help find clarity in the mess.

This article offers 5 tips to increase engagement with social media or blog posts about appellate legal issues. Law isn't boring so internet content about legal issues shouldn't be either. This article offers a few practical and easy tips to help you market your law practice effectively online and maybe even have a little bit of fun.

#Networked is the much anticipated 20-chapter anthology written by 20 women lawyers who met through a networking group on LinkedIn in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Much like the framework of the Decameron, each chapter in #Networked is written by one woman describing both her individual and collective experience and role within the group.

The women’s stories touch upon many of Boccaccio’s universal themes of the human condition: human will, love, virtue, and societal… Show more

#Networked is the much anticipated 20-chapter anthology written by 20 women lawyers who met through a networking group on LinkedIn in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Much like the framework of the Decameron, each chapter in #Networked is written by one woman describing both her individual and collective experience and role within the group.

The women’s stories touch upon many of Boccaccio’s universal themes of the human condition: human will, love, virtue, and societal tension.

Make no mistake, not all themes in #Networked transcend time, this is a modern anthology. The protagonists are all very much entrenched in 2020 with plenty of emphasis given to careers, work-life balance, and the best lighting for virtual calls.

The multi-dimensional characters also dig deep conquering topics such as infertility, addiction, allyship, feminism, and mental health. Their stories are familiar.

They are the stories of thousands of other professional women living during this era.

They serve as inspiration and offer hope that the pandemic wasn’t a time of destruction at all, but rather a time of opportunity and growth. As one of the authors wrote “It was the birth of a whole new me, or rather a whole new we.

In addition to Claire, authors include: Patricia Baxter, Shari Belitz, Veronica Canton, Talar Herculian Coursey, Deb Feder, Natalie Elisha Gold, Laura Gregory, Christon Halkiotis, Jacqueline Harkounian, Meghan Henry, Lisa Lang, Olga V. Mack, Christina Roach, Sarah Stogner, Jamie Szal, Anjie Vichayanonda, Olivia Vizachero, Angela Vorpahl, and Winter Wheeler with a foreword by Shay Rowbottom. Show less

This article was written as a part of the continuing partnership between MothersEsquire and Above the Law. It disusses the many ways that attorney moms are uniquely suited to make needed change in their communities by engaging in their local governments. It provides information about educational opportunities, including Action Tank in Cincinnati, Ohio, for those looking to learn more about serving in these roles.

This post republishes a LinkedIn article I prepared to discuss how mindfulness concepts can help to provide balance and perspective as one uses social media for networking and marketing purposes. Two classic books are discussed, including Zen in the Art of Archery and Zen Mind Beginner's Mind. If you are interested in mindfulness and networking, this one is for you.

This article was written as part of the Women in the Law Committee's "Sharing Success" column. It traces passions that I have followed throughout my career that led to benefits in my practice, including community service, leadership, and writing. I was asked to write this after I was presented with Ms. JD's Sharing Her Passion Award in March, 2020.

An overview of potential appellate issues that trial lawyers should be prepared to address as they litigate jury trials during the coronavirus pandemic.

This article explains the pitfalls of law firm wellness and diversity initiatives and offers recommednations for improved outcomes for lawyers and the profession as whole. Although most attorneys and firms are committed to attorney wellness and diversity in the profession, research indicates that such feelings and aspirations are not sufficient to transform the profession for the better. This article discusses those studies and identifies potential ways that law firm and organizational leaders… Show more

This article explains the pitfalls of law firm wellness and diversity initiatives and offers recommednations for improved outcomes for lawyers and the profession as whole. Although most attorneys and firms are committed to attorney wellness and diversity in the profession, research indicates that such feelings and aspirations are not sufficient to transform the profession for the better. This article discusses those studies and identifies potential ways that law firm and organizational leaders to improve outcomes for their employees and support their financial bottom lines. Show less

An article exploring the impact of the Fair Housing Act's anti-discrimination provision relating to "familial status" on local zoning actions.

This blog post was written for the partnership with MothersEsquire and Above the Law. It is a personal story that explains how support from family, friends, and compassion from my firm helped my practice thrive after my difficult first pregnancy in 2012.

Article featured at pages 18 and 19.

Article featured on pages 4 and 5. It is a biographical sketch of my father's career in local government and private practice.

This article contains an overview of 3 common meditation styles to help lawyers improve focus, emotional wellbeing, and live happier lives. It includes an overview of (1) breath; (2) body scan; and (3) loving-kindness practices.

This is the latest installment in a series of posts on motherhood in the legal profession, in partnership with our friends at MothersEsquire.

The article titled discusses the existing obligation that public schools have to provide a quality education to all students despite their immigration status. While there has been much debate amongst state and local governmental officials relating to immigration, several federal statutes, including FERPA, Title IV of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, prohibit school districts from becoming embroiled in immigration matters. Parsons’ and Neace’s… Show more

The article titled discusses the existing obligation that public schools have to provide a quality education to all students despite their immigration status. While there has been much debate amongst state and local governmental officials relating to immigration, several federal statutes, including FERPA, Title IV of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, prohibit school districts from becoming embroiled in immigration matters. Parsons’ and Neace’s article explore each of these protections to remind school officials and school attorneys to carefully consider the existing law in making decisions that could affect immigrant students. Show less

The article, which is entitled “3 Reasons Young Lawyers Should Get Involved with Community Service”, highlights the many reasons why it is important for young lawyers to donate their time in the community. In the article, Parsons emphasizes that community service enhances a young attorney’s practice because it builds confidence, develops new contacts, and engenders personal and professional satisfaction.

This article highlights Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, the Supreme Court’s newest decision regarding special education. As the article explains, the Supreme Court ruled that the previous standard adopted by the 10th Circuit did not require enough of school districts to ensure the academic success of their special needs students. Instead, the article noted, the Supreme Court took a moderate approach in holding that a school must offer individual education plans that enable a… Show more

This article highlights Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, the Supreme Court’s newest decision regarding special education. As the article explains, the Supreme Court ruled that the previous standard adopted by the 10th Circuit did not require enough of school districts to ensure the academic success of their special needs students. Instead, the article noted, the Supreme Court took a moderate approach in holding that a school must offer individual education plans that enable a special needs child to progress appropriately according to his or her circumstances. Because Kentucky resides in the 6th Circuit which has already ruled similarly on this matter, the article explains that the effects of Endrew F. may not be felt immediately in Kentucky. Show less

The article collects and analyzes cases applying the rule on summary judgment that a plaintiff's allegations may be disregarded if they are blatantly contradicted by record evidence. With Section 1983 litigation, Scott v. Harris is an important precedent for obtaining summary judgment in the face of plaintiff allegations which contradict video footage of the alleged incident. Lower courts, however, have applied this rule to many other types of documents, including medical records, audio… Show more

The article collects and analyzes cases applying the rule on summary judgment that a plaintiff's allegations may be disregarded if they are blatantly contradicted by record evidence. With Section 1983 litigation, Scott v. Harris is an important precedent for obtaining summary judgment in the face of plaintiff allegations which contradict video footage of the alleged incident. Lower courts, however, have applied this rule to many other types of documents, including medical records, audio recordings, dispatch records, and phone records. This article explores this authority so that practitioners can use it to make the best summary judgment arguments for their clients. Show less

Analysis, advice, and best practices for creating original content for legal magazines, newsletters, and blogs.

Overview of statutory immunity under the Paul C. Coverdell Teacher Liability Protection Act of 2001 and a comparison of that statute to Kentucky common law immunity defenses.

Pre-decision analysis of IDEA stay-put provision and then pending appeal in N.W. v. Boone County Bd. of Educ., 763 F.3d 611 (6th Cir. Ky. 2014).

Pre-decision analysis of Plumhoff v. Rickard, 134 S.Ct. 2012 (2014), which vacated the Sixth Circuit's denial of qualified immunity to officers sued under the Fourth Amendment for excessive force.

Analysis of application of Miranda requirement for interrogations conducted in the school setting and the Kentucky Supreme Court's decision on that topic in N.C. v. Commonwealth, 396 S.W.3d 852 (Ky. 2013).

An article assessing the Supreme Court's ruling in Safford Unified Sch. Dist. No. 1 v. Redding, 129 S.Ct. 2633 (2009), which held that a school official violated a student's Fourth Amendment rights by conducting a partial strip search for contraband.