Our state bars require lawyers to pass “character and fitness” evaluations for admission. Our profession, however, often seems to regard “character and fitness” as assets a person either has or doesn’t have at a moment in time, rather than virtues we can, and should, continuously cultivate over the course of our life and profession. Together, let’s redefine “character and fitness to practice law” through a well-being lens.

Socrates urges us to “know thyself.” To do so, let’s explore our individualized constellations of 24 character strengths identified and studied by positive psychologists, to discover assets each of us naturally and enthusiastically contribute to our profession. Then, like athletes and performers, let’s cultivate multiple dimensions of fitness.

• What does "character" mean to me?

• What does "fitness" mean to me?