Inside a Lawyer's Head

Larry Richard earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Temple. He is also one of the leading experts on lawyer's personalities, having tested over 25,000 lawyers over the course of his professional career.

In analyzing lawyer personalities, he employs the Caliper Profile, which has been used to measure 18 different personality traits. Dr. Richard has identified six different distinctive traits that distinguish lawyers:

1. Skepticism. 90% of lawyers are skeptical, compared to 50% of the general public. Lawyers are hired because of their proclivity to question everything...data, people, situations, etc. The lawyer's mindset is, "Oh yeah? Prove it."
2. Autonomy. 89% of lawyers have this trait, vs. 50% for the general public. Lawyers are autonomous and somewhat contrary. When one attempts to influence lawyers with a hard sell, there will be a natural reaction against that. The best way to overcome autonomy resistance is to let that person have input in what they're going to do. Participation leads to commitment.
3. Sociability. Only 7% of lawyers have it, vs. 50% of the public. This is the ability to initiate new emotional connections, being interested in disclosing one's inner life, and remembering  the details of the inner lives of others. Most attorneys would rather discus sports, current events, or the Alito hearings...as opposed to discussing anything personal.
4. Abstract Reasoning. 82% of lawyers have this, compared to 50% for the general public. Lawyers like solving problems, facing challenges, and stimulating their brains.
5. Urgency. 71% of attorneys have a sense of urgency, vs. 50% of the general public. This is a need for closure and a desire to have things brought to a head. The downside of urgency is that lawyers are often not very good at inter-personal communications. Touchy-feely is sacrificed for efficiency.
6. Resilience. Surprisingly, lawyers are less resilient than the general public...30% vs. 50%. Their are highly sensitive to criticism, and have a low tolerance for rejection.

From a financial advisor's perspective, these six characteristics show the dramatic personality differences that can exist between lawyers...and salespeople. Whereas persons in the sales profession are generally: creative, enthusiastic, extroverted and interactive...many attorneys are analytical, detached, introverted and reflective.

Of course, it can be dangerous to make assumptions about individuals. Not all lawyers will share the traits outlined above. In the words of Mark Twain, "All generalizations are false...including this one."

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