Ron Tyler is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at Stanford Law School. Prior to joining Stanford, Ron enjoyed a 22-year career as an Assistant Federal Public Defender with the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California.
Ron’s focus on mindfulness began while he was a practicing lawyer in the 1990’s. In search of a serene transformation from a hectic lifestyle, he pursued a meditative style of hatha yoga—integral yoga. His integral yoga practice led to a meditation practice. When he arrived at Stanford Law School, Ron incorporated mindfulness concepts into his clinical teaching, as described in his article: The First Thing We Do, Let’s Heal All the Law Students: Incorporating Self-Care Into A Criminal Defense Clinic.
Ron lectures regularly on mindfulness and self-care at Stanford and at continuing legal education workshops nationally. He has also co-taught pioneering mindfulness courses for judges, prosecutors and public defenders in Santa Clara County. Beyond mindfulness, he lectures on criminal practice nationwide at seminars for attorneys, investigators, and paralegals. He is also active in several nonprofits including the American Civil Liberties Union, serving on its executive committee.