In a Dark Wood: Dante as a Spiritual Guide for Lawyers

Authors

Joseph Allegretti, Sienna College

First Page

875

Document Type

Article

Abstract

In this paper, I propose to focus on three stages in the Divine Comedy that represent three stages of the spiritual journey. First, being lost. The poem opens with Dante lost in a dark wood, corresponding to the spiritual situation of many lawyers today. Recall the title of Dean Kronman's book: The Lost Lawyer. Second, taking the journey. Dante moves from the dark wood through hell and purgatory on his journey of self-discovery. The lessons he learns can help anyone setting out on the spiritual journey. Third, arriving home. Dante ends his poem with a vision of what it means to find oneself and one's true destiny. Here we catch a glimpse of what a reinvigorated and reformed legal practice would look like. Let's consider each of these three stages in turn.

Recommended Citation

Joseph Allegretti, In a Dark Wood: Dante as a Spiritual Guide for Lawyers, 17 St. Thomas L. Rev. 875 (2005).
Available at: https://scholarship.stu.edu/stlr/vol17/iss3/19