In this month’s column we take a look at legal errors and the ways that the practice of mindfulness can reduce their likelihood. We don’t need to look far to appreciate the frequency and real-world consequences of errors made by another group of highly trained professionals. It is estimated that medical errors are so commonplace and consequential that they are the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Fortunately, errors in the legal profession tend not to be as consequential to life and limb (with some exceptions, to be sure). Nonetheless their consequences can be severe. Most of us can recall times when mistakes were made — very often amid the best of intentions — and while we managed to get through many of them, somewhat unscathed, there are those that take a toll on our clients, our colleagues, our reputation, and, if nothing else, our well-being.

Even when things turn out okay, the angst, guilt, regret, worry, and self-doubt that arise along the way, alone, make the case for wanting to minimize them. And even when we breathe a sigh of relief, the half-life of these psychological consequences often survives the situation itself.