Six - Seven

If you know a school teacher, don’t mention this blog post to them. Because this is about the “6…7” trend that has swept the nation and infuriated teachers far and wide. But we promise, this post isn’t meant to annoy them further.

Instead, we want to talk about the positives behind this trend and what it could mean for well being in the legal profession. While we wouldn’t recommend saying “6…7!” to a judge or client (unless you really know their sense of humor), that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from the young minds who are behind this craze.

If you don’t know, when the numbers 6 and 7 come up classes and middle school students across the country have shouted “6…7” in a sort of sing-song-call-and-response type answer. Some teachers have attempted to avoid those numbers, while others incorporate the call and response into their teaching in more creative ways.

While it isn’t clear where it comes from, what is even more infuriating for some is it doesn’t seem to mean anything. However, the positive it creates in youth is a sense of belonging to something bigger than them. Moreover, it does so in a way that doesn’t make anyone the punchline of a joke.

By contrast, the legal profession makes far too common a practice out of performing “gate-keeping” actions which are barriers to a sense of belonging. Practices that are too common in the profession often give rise to feelings of impostor syndrome, which can further isolate legal professionals from their peers or from outside sources of support. All of these factors fuel the mental health struggles that we see in this field.

Together, we can work to create the same sense of belonging within the field that this phenomenon creates, without the annoying disruptiveness experienced by many teachers currently. And in the mean time, if any legal professionals are feeling isolated and struggling with a lack of belonging, know that support is available.