About Scott Rogers

Scott Rogers is founder and director of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies, the University of Miami School of Law's Mindfulness in Law Program, and co-founder of the University of Miami's Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. He has practiced mindfulness and other contemplative practices for more than 30 years.  His concentration on mindfulness is rooted in his belief that it offers one of the most effective means of encouraging meaningful inner work and growth. Scott received his masters degree in social psychology and his law degree from the University of Florida, graduating summa cum laude. He clerked with Judge Maurice Paul in the Northern District of Florida and with Judge Rosemary Barkett on the Florida Supreme Court and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

In 1998, while practicing commercial litigation with White & Case, Scott began developing the mindfulness teaching methods and exercises that form the basis for the different programs developed and taught by the Institute for Mindfulness Studies (IMS). While integrating mindfulness into his professional life, he set out to share mindfulness with lawyers and first spoke on mindfulness in 1998 as part of a Florida CLE program in Miami, Florida.

The mindfulness programs Scott has developed for legal professionals involve the use of language and imagery that resonates with lawyers both to communicate fundamental mindfulness principles and to develop mindfulness cues to help people “remember” to be mindful. These exercises and techniques are designed to help people transform moment-to-moment interactions through the cultivation of greater mindful awareness. The underlying insights and exercises are rooted in traditional mindfulness practices.

In 2003 Scott founded the online community, The Mindful Parent®. The Mindful Parent has been visited by people in over 70 countries around the world.  In 2006, Scott published “Mindful Parenting: Meditations, Verses & Visualization for a More Joyful Life” and spoke at the Miami Book Fair International. He continues to conduct mindful parenting workshops and presentations.

In 2005, Scott began working with therapists, teaching mindfulness in the therapeutic context, and today conducts Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy workshops. In 2007, Scott began working with educators, attorneys, physicians and other professionals.  In 2007 he began applying mindfulness practices to working with people interested in transforming their relationship to food.

In 2008 Scott conducted a pilot first year mindfulness program at the University of Miami School of Law which, in 2009, was expanded to encompass a comprehensive contemplative practices program for all law students.  In 2011 Scott joined the Miami Law faculty as lecturer and founder and director of the Mindfulness in Law Program, the first in the country. At Miami Law, Scott has introduced and teaches courses that integrate mindfulness into the curriculum, including Mindful Ethics, Mindfulness in Law, and Mindful Leadership. In 2012 he received the "Richard Hausler Golden Apple Award" for his contributions to the Miami Law student body.

In 2010 Scott co-founded with cognitive neuroscientist, Amishi Jha, the University of Miami Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. In 2011, Scott began working with members of the UM Miller School of Medicine faculty to introduce mindfulness to medical students and the medical school community.

In 2011 Scott helped co-found the Mindfulness in Law Joint Task Force of the Dade County Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association (South Florida Chapter) and presently co-chairs the group. He is the 2012 recipient of the Sookie William's award for "Outstanding Service to the Legal Community."

Scott is a regular speaker at law schools and bar programs across the country. He has appeared on television, National Public Radio, and been interviewed for magazines and newspapers across the world. In 2009 Scott published “Mindfulness for Law Students: Applying the Power of Mindful Awareness to Achieve Balance and Success in Law School” and “The Six-Minute Solution: A Mindfulness Primer for Lawyers. In 2012 he co-authored "Mindfulness and Professional Responsibility: A Guidebook for Integrating Mindfulness into the Law School Curriculum."

Scott provides consulting services and in-house programs to corporations, schools, law firms, and law schools, and conducts workshops throughout the United States.  He lives in Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and two children. You can learn more about Scott by clicking here.

Twitter:
You can follow Scott on Twitter by visiting http:twitter.com/imindful

Interview:
You can watch the first part of an interview with Scott by clicking here.