Lawyering, especially litigation, is tough work. It is mentally exhausting and physically demanding.  Depositions require hours of preparation and focus.  Arguing before a hostile court can drain energy quickly.  When it’s time for trial, most crucially jury trials, the days are sixteen hours long.  Even days at the office, holding meetings, drafting legal briefs, and meeting deadlines can wear someone out.  And at the end of the day, when family is the top priority, you need something left in the tank to go home and help with homework or prep dinner.

These is no extracting the benefits of physical fitness from the rigors of practicing law.  While some lawyers celebrate eating and drinking (no doubt virtuous in proper proportion) here at Sciarra & Catrambone, LLC we promote and encourage the physical well being of our lawyers.  Take Jeffrey Catrambone as an example.  A certified lifeguard, in the summer he regularly sea-kayaks in the Atlantic and recently signed up to bike 200 miles for charity this coming summer.  Matt Curran spends as much of his off hours as possible snow-boarding black diamonds.  Alan Serrins exercises religiously and Deb Edwards bike rides and has, probably, the healthiest eating habits of any lawyer in the state.  Of course, there is also Sciarra.  Admittedly, when looking at him “athletic” is not one of the first fifty things that come to mind.  However, a prior health scare behind him he now lifts weights and hits the treadmill regularly and, most recently, finished a five mile “turkey trot” in under an hour.  (ashenfelterclassic.com) Ok, so that’s not like the wind or anything spectacular, but for a guy who would get exhausted driving five miles, it’s pretty good.

So the next time you have an important legal battle on your hands ask yourself, is that lawyer in whom you are entrusting so much physically fit for duty as well as legally skilled?